The Colour of their eyes
by grimreapergirl
Summary: The crunch of snow was loud among the silence. Levi turned to boy who couldn't be more than 9 or 10 years old and stared into the porcelain blue orbs filled with fire and slight resignation. The boy looked tired, worn down and beaten but not ready to give up."Boy, will you come with me?" Levi stretched his pale hand towards him; hoping, praying that he would take it.
1. The Peak of the Mountain

_Hello lovelies. This story is on AO3 as well in case if you were wondering, under my wingsoffreedom_jeager account. I have posted 5 more chapters on there than on this website so if you are curious about the story please visit ao3 to read ahead. This story is gonna be a long one so sit back and relax. It starts off with a young Eren and he grows older with Levi, so I hope you enjoy the ride. Pairing is LeviXEren and there will be GORE as well as mild child abuse so if you're sensitive to that, I'm warning you ahead of time. With that out of that way enjoy!_

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The sun's rays shined brightly as they crept through the slight gaps of the tree branches, creating eerie shadows and patterns as the boy trudged through the snow. It had begun to snow again, making the air crisp and cool. Each breath he took was like drowning in icy water and the air stung his eyes. He watched the flakes of snow, silver and dark, fall obliquely against the sunlight. Each breath he made caused mist and puffs of air to form like little clouds while blurring his view as they disappeared into the crisp air like smoke.

The snow had created a blanket of white on the barren trees, giving the appearance of tranquility and peace like a mother's embrace among the otherwise cold and dreary mountain. The boy's soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly like the descent of their last end, upon all the living dead. The heavy crunch of snow under his brown, worn boots gave way, creating a lonely path as he trudged as far as his small body could take him. A sudden wind caused him to shiver and try to shield his dainty body from the chilly air, as if warding off a cold embrace. For days he had been tracking this horde, climbing higher and higher the mountain with each step, wishing that his frail body could travel with speed that the same creatures he had sworn to hunt had. Agility and speed had been the few of their deadly features that he wish he possessed the farther he had travelled.

Taking a deep sniff, he threw his head back and almost appeared feral among the foliage of nature. The odours, the sights, the sounds, everything played a role in his world, now, and he was the apex predator of this world.

He had hoped that all the wind and snow from the previous night would have died down making the track up slightly more bearable after being accustomed to such weather for so long, but his journey farther up had proved wrong. His spider-like limbs and thin frame could not protect his hollow like body from the harsh winter. His tattered shirt and flimsy pants doing nothing to block the wind. His shoulder-length, tangled, soot-covered brunette hair was only causing him annoyance as the wind swept his hair and made it cover his field of view; only allowing him to see his dirty, brown boots buried six inches deep in snow. The silence of his trip only made him more aware of his lonely and dangerous mission. The only company he could rely on was the dreary snow and bare trees with which he had grown to love during his isolation.

He could see the area finally clearing of trees and becoming more destitute, meaning he was finally reaching the end of his track. The sudden realization made the long, cold steel of the axe hidden underneath his clothes a friendly reminder of what was to come. His cobalt blue eyes were focused on the path ahead, but his body was rigid on high alert, tightly sprung like a coil ready to burst into action if needed. His sunken eyes were vigilant of anything that moved; to the sudden fall of patch of snow from a tree branch, to the brisk bout of icy wind that passed by. The fall of the snow caused a rush of nostalgia from the boy.

He remembered two winters ago how cold it had gotten one night. He had tried to find some dry wood to bring back to his cabin to light a fire to keep warm for the night but came back with a pathetic bundle of thin sticks instead. He had started a fire and was bedding down when he heard a loud thump like that of a large body echo within the walls of his cabin, causing his heart to race wildly. He thought at first they had found him, that he was done for but his fear dwindled as he saw a pile of snow that had fallen from his frost coated window. He had been seven at the time and had learned from the incident to always ensure no snow piled onto the roof again.

The boy stopped in his path to warm his frozen limbs and rub his hands together to warm his fingers. His hands had turned a blood red due to the harsh cold and making his limbs burn and tingle from his hot breath. The sudden color of red had caused him to remember his first kill he made a year ago. He could remember the incident as if it was yesterday; all in clear detail right down to the sights, smells and sounds. The blood was red, like the early sunsets he would see when he would rise for another chilly morning. The air smelled of rotten flesh, ozone, and iron. The creature was just as ugly as he had remembered when he was six. It was tall and lanky with limbs all gangly. Its arms were skinny and the rest of its body was thin to the point of undernourishment. Its skin was pale and seemed like a pasty grey in colour and was stretched so far on its limbs that every bony protrusion was visible, right down to the ribs.

Each breath it took was rancid and smelled of ozone making the air putrid to breathe in. The creature's long tongue was forked at the tip like a snakes would be, making it seem deadly. Along with the long, sharp corded-like nails ensured the sudden death of its prey all the more frightening. Its pointed hairy ears were made to snuff out anything hidden and its snout was elongated for a quick capture of prey. Fangs had protruded from its chapped, stretched thin lips causing it have an overbite due to the sheer size of its teeth. He remembered its hunched back and spinal cord being distorted, exposing deadly spikes acting as the perfect armour against any veteran hunter.

Perhaps it was a stalker and a predator in its own regard, but he wasn't threatened or moved at all. It was no doubt displaying a dominant, aggressive warning sign for him, but he paid it no heed. Fear hardly struck in the depth of his heart, and he made a plan to advance in such ways that its life would be snuffed out like a candle in the darkness before it had time to even assess and read his movements.

Yes, a swift death was his gift to the creature. It didn't need suffering; only beautiful things deserved to suffer and meet the prolonged torture he often bestowed upon those creatures he deemed worthy of such a sacrifice.

It took him a few hours to kill it after he had stalked the thing. He had had the advantage because of its small, beady eyes that were partially blind; the milky white of its eyes finally giving him a chance to move swiftly in for the kill. He remembered limping back through the snow and feeling the light throb of the slashes across his back made from the deadly claws of the beast. His torn shirt and open wound was exposed to the bitter cold and never fully healed properly, leaving behind an ugly scar to be permanently etched into his otherwise unblemished skin. Blood had soaked the snow leaving behind a bloody trail of red, like rose petals in his track.

Recalling it now brought on a sense of satisfaction and strength that he longed for as his fatigue was blown away by the sudden burst of emotions from the event. It was exactly what he needed to push on and remind himself of why he was pursuing these beasts in the first place. That as long as these beings exist he would never be free and feel comfort. He was beyond exhilarated; he was liberated and free. That was a feeling he could chase to the ends of the earth, and it wouldn't be enough to satiate his burning needs. Feeling such emotions made the boy hunger for his next kill and anticipate the feeling of his axe slashing through the beasts as they attempt to gnaw and feed on him all the while knowing that they will ultimately fall to their deaths by his hands.

The boy quickened his pace in his sudden rush of excitement. He could feel it; he was so close to the peak of the mountain where he had last followed a small group of beasts that had strayed from the horde. He had to be careful since the snow was more slippy due to an under-layer of ice coating the snow. He had tracked the horde and knew that soon he would be able to destroy these fearsome beings. He started to jog to quicken his pace now that the sun was at its peak and he knew that this time was the very best since these beings hated the light. The time to act was now, when the sun was at its brightest, providing him with the best advantage and element of surprise. The creatures mostly feed at night, crawling around to scavenge for food. At night, these creatures were twice as strong, more foul and hungry and could see as clearly as he did during the day. For months he had studied these bat-like beings, trying to find out what makes them tick. Finally he had gained all the knowledge he needed to kill them.

He had learned that Iron metal was not the most effective method to kill the creatures since iron hardly damaged their leather-like skin. Silver was the better metal and proved to cause considerable damage. He also learned that their intelligence was not on the same level his. They proved to be stupid, basing all their attacks on instincts and relying heavily on their claws and teeth to kill. Their tails, although long and spiked at the tip, could be easily dodged, the only deadly aspect to them was their sharp claws and sudden surges of strength when they would leap in for the kill. Their teeth snapping and locking their prey in a deadly grip allowing for no escape. The spikes on its back did prove to be sharp and were stronger than they looked.

After careful analysis he had decided that tonight would be the night when he could make his move. Finally, after all this time, he could clear his home of deadly beasts. He no longer would have to fear a sudden attack or be weary of their large feet waking him in the middle of the night as they crept along the forest trail near the cabin.

He was brought back to the present when a faint sound of growling caught his attention. He stopped abruptly and paused, waiting for any signs of an ambush. The growls did more than merely prepare him for early battle, however; it fuelled his rage like the oncoming rushing of the waves of a wild ocean caught in the midst of a storm. He pitied and weeped for the fools who dared to challenge him on his own territory, on his ground. He was going to have to resolve this matter for himself, and he would enjoy it. Half the enjoyment of the hunt came from the pumping of the blood in his veins, and then that of the blood seeping out of his prey's corpse.

When the coast was clear he lowered his body, pulled out the axe and continued up. He could finally see the clearing at the top where a large cliff resided. The horde had hid beyond the cliff, in a small cave near the top and he knew it was a risky move to attack at their home, but he knew if he could possibly trap them under the snow and ice that the cave would collapse under all the snow and they would be buried in a snowy death. He ran to the top and stopped, peering down. Right below ten feet from the top of the cliff, he saw it, the largest horde of beasts he had ever seen.

He found it, finally.

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_I hope you guys enjoyed this introduction chapter. This will be a slow build so expect a nice BURN while you all wait. Character perspectives may bounce back and forth between Eren and Levi so expect that as well. This is probably one of the shortest chapters that I have written for this story. The other chapters that I have posted on ao3 are usually twice as long, sometimes even being up to 8000 to 10,000 words per chapter so future chapters will be VERY long. _

_Chapter 2 will be up for easy access. See you guys soon_


	2. His Eyes

_Chapter 2 is up earlier than I said since I was on a roll and was really excited. I wanted to pump out this chapter ASAP for you guys and made it longer than I ever have written. Just as a FYI if you see line/page breaks in here, it's just switching perspectives between characters. Also you may have noticed how the boy calls and sees things differently than Levi. He called aberrant beasts since he doesn't know what they are whereas Levi does but they mean the same thing. _

_Also warning for gore, so if you're weak in the stomach, readers be advised. _

_Without further ado! ENJOY!_

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The order was very clear: go up the mountain peak, investigate the area for any clues about the whereabouts of the mysterious "hunter" that had suddenly appeared clearing the mountain and provide a safe haven for the village that resided near the base of the mountain and get out. Levi knew something was strange about the whole situation. For one, all the hunters that were sent out on missions were either with the council or were registered under the farming pact that was made between Purebloods and any residing human settlements in the area. Hunters consisted of either noble and knight class vampires and any capable man left to fight. This queer exchange was on a very thin line and required that humans provided their blood to higher class vampires as "feeders" in exchange for their protection.

Resources, shelter, food and safety was all provided to humans by vampires behind the walls and anyone unlucky enough to be stuck on the outside of any of the three walls was left to the creatures that dwelled beyond. Wall Maria, Rose, and Sina had their own designated Pureblood vampire who was in control of the wall. They provide the necessities for both vampires and humans and each consisted of one of the three elders that ruled the vampire council ruling over each wall.

Levi, being a pureblood himself, found the whole thing to be quite a nuisance. He didn't understand why the damn council had to be full of snobby old men who only wanted to satiate their own lustful desires. He honestly was tired of the whole thing and couldn't be bothered with all the "aristocracy" and hypocrisy of it all. Although he was considered to be one of the remaining purebloods, Levi found no merit in having his own "feeder" and building his own horde. It all seemed so petty to confine humans only to fuck and feed on them whenever he wanted. He would rather chew on his limbs then resort to such actions; it seemed to remind him of a child with a magnifying glass burning off the wings of a firefly.

All in all, it was boring and not to his tastes. Though he may have lived in the underbelly of the walls for about twenty years, he was accustomed to the comings and goings of what really happened within the walls. He saw it all; rape, murder, death, human trafficking not to mention other vampires taking a nice piss all over the so called "pact" that was made. Nothing was ever respected and in his world it was clear cut; black and white.

Levi knew that going on this mission was not to ensure the safety of village, rather to investigate the recent horde of aberrants that had started to grow in numbers and surround the village east of Wall Rose and cut them down just to preserve what little was left of the pact. Erwin had chewed him out, forcing him to go and take care of the damn thing himself. He could remember the whole conversation and his blood began to boil in anger and annoyance.

"Do you have any idea what time is it Erwin?" Levi growled at Erwin in annoyance as he was abruptly forced awake earlier by none other than Isabel bursting into his quarters at the ass crack of dawn. She had so graciously pulled the covers from his bed and boomed in a loud, chipper voice to gets his lazy ass out of bed and that Erwin wanted to see him. During that moment Levi wanted to sever Erwin's dick off for disturbing his slumber. He hadn't been sleeping well the last ten years and no matter the amount of sleep he desperately tried to get, it was never enough. He always ended up tossing and turning, recollecting his thoughts of the past and how he was always hungry. Hungry for what, he didn't know, just that his stomach and fangs would ache and his throat always remained parched.

"Yes I do Levi, but what I have to tell you is more important than your beauty sleep." Erwin chided as he turned towards Levi in his chair. He fiddled with a few papers on his desk, rearranging them to how he liked then set them aside on a larger pile towards his left to focus his attention completely towards Levi.

Erwin's pale blonde hair was as perfect as Levi remembered and his bushy eyebrows were as annoying as ever. His arctic blue orbs boring holes into Levi, observing his annoyance as Levi started fidgeting under the scrutiny and tapping his black combat boot against the mahogany floorboards in irritation.

"Well, get on with it Erwin. You're starting to piss me off with your damn staring and creepy ass leering." Levi barked as he glared at Erwin as a small form of retaliation for the sudden burst of news. Levi knew what type of man Erwin was, and Erwin being Erwin meant that there was something going on for him to summon Levi so early in the day.

"You do know of Shiganshina district that resides east of Wall Rose near the mountain there right Levi?" Erwin chuckled at Levi's crude remarks and irritation.

"Yeah, what about that shithole?" Levi grumbled as he relaxed slightly, his shoulders unwinding and his usual frown residing. He crossed his arms trying to regain his composure and focus on what Erwin was trying to get at. He never knew what Erwin was thinking and never even bothered to try. Erwin was one big mystery and always knew what other people were thinking even before they themselves did which creeped him out. Relaxing his body would help curbed Erwin's habit of reading his body language and hopefully not piss Levi off anymore than Erwin usually did.

"There have been reports from the villagers that someone has been living at the top of the mountain exterminating aberrants of their own accord. The reports said that this person may be human and based on what witnesses have reported, it doesn't sound like one of our hunters. They don't even seem to be registered under the legislation as a hunter. I looked into it and couldn't find anyone who fit the description given." Erwin calmly explained. He relaxed into his chair and leaned back observing Levi and closed his eyes before leaning forward to continue.

"I want you to take your squad, ride east and check out the area to see what's going on there. Report anything unusual and if you can, try to see who our little 'helper' may be."

"Does it matter who the hell it is? They're doing us a favour and personally I couldn't give a shit who did it. They're doing a goddamn public service and working way more than half of the fat ass snob vampires here put together." Levi bantered playfully as he slowly made his way towards a soft, plush chair and sat down, knowing that Erwin was about to start on one of his long winded lectures.

Erwin sighed in irritation, feeling a slight headache ebb its way in, making his eyes hurt from the bright beam of sunlight that snuck into the room through the window behind him. The warm sun rays casting a sense of warmth that engulfed his back as it beamed down on him.

"Just get it done Levi. We need to see who is acting on their own and why. What purpose does this individual have for risking their life without reward? What drives them to reside in isolation and kill? I want to know who they are and what intentions they have. Anything that threatens our peace must be dealt with." Erwin warned as his voice was firm and his body became rigid.

Levi sat quietly mulling over what Erwin said. Who cares about the purpose. Aberrants are a nuisance to both vampires and humans, Levi thought. "Anyone crazy enough to kill them, especially a human, warrants praise for being ballsy enough to take them out in my opinion." Levi huffed.

"Levi, I'm not asking. This is an order. I want you to bring them in and I want that village secure. Is that clear?" Erwin commanded. His overbearing aura and eyes bore into Levi, challenging him to question him or deviate from his plans.

"Yeah I got it, no need to get all pissy on me Erwin. I'll get it done." Levi relented. He swiftly got up from his seat and walked towards the door to leave the office as quickly as possible to escape the stifling pressure of Erwin's aura and commanding tone. He reached the door and was ready to leave when he heard Erwin speak once more in a grim tone.

"There's none I trust more than you to get this job done Levi. I can't risk trusting anyone but you. For the sake of my sanity." Erwin appealed in a soft tone. His voice tampered off near the end of sentence and Levi had to strain his hearing just to catch the last bit of what Erwin practically whispered.

Looking back on it now as he was riding his horse out in the cold, he remembered Erwin looking more worn out than he usually did. He almost missed the small details giving away Erwin's slight distress; the dark bags under his eyes, his paler than usual complexion, his shirt being more wrinkled and the end of one of the buttons on his shirt loose and hanging limply ready to fall at the smallest jostle.

Levi was suddenly brought back from his musings by a wet, cold, ball of snow impacting with the back of his head, causing his horse to jump, snow to fly and a horrendous cackle to disrupt the peace.

"GODDAMMIT HANJI STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD FOR ONCE!" Levi bellowed in anger. He brushed off the remaining snow on his shoulders and shrugged off his fur coat clear of any ice and snow that stuck to the ends of the fur. The green of the survey corps coat deepening to a darker emerald green due to the snow melting slightly from his warm temperature.

Levi sighed in irritation as Hanji continued to cackle madly while she grabbed her sides in mirth and pure enjoyment at his annoyance. Her pony tail swaying as she jostled her horse and her glasses falling askew during her laughing.

"Oh come one! Lighten up Levi poo! Enjoy the snow and have some fun. You should really consider getting laid, maybe it'll fix that grumpy attitude of yours." She sung as she poked Levi's face with her index finger as a slight jab at his lack of love life and to annoy him as much as possible since she knew of his sense of hygiene and priority towards cleanliness.

"Hanji, I swear if you don't get your dirty, shit covered finger out of my face right now I'll cut the damn thing off." Levi growled. His eyes turning a cobalt blue in anger and overtaking the usual stormy silver grey of his eyes. His fangs protruding from his gums as he snarled, making his annoyance as clear as day. He had tried many times to shake the damn woman off and to get the message to lay off using his menacing glare that worked on lower class vampires, but she was accustomed to such treatment over the years they worked together so it never deterred her from teasing him.

"Okay Mr. badass vampire, calm down. No need to get your panties in a bunch. I was just lightening the mood since the rest of your squad is too busy either admiring your ass or having something stuck up THEIR ass." Hanji giggled as she turned behind her towards the rest of the group.

"And I mean you Oluo!" Hanji goaded in a playful tone of voice all the while snickering.

"Huh! What did you say Zoe? Say that again, I dare you!" Oluo barked. His face distorted as he tried desperately to imitate Levi's usual scowl, his eyebrows scrunching together in a pathetic attempt at expressing his anger and Levi's face.

"Oh shut up Oluo, everyone knows that you're trying too hard to imitate Captain Levi." Petra exasperated as she pulled her horse closer to Oluo's and smacked the back of his head in annoyance. Oluo was about to retort when he bit his tongue and a small groan could be heard from his clumsiness.

"Good, maybe that'll shut him up." Gunther laughed as he observed Petra scolding Oluo and handing him a handkerchief as he tried to stop the bleeding from his tongue.

Levi simply observed his squad bickering and felt a sense of peace and familiar tranquility settle amongst the small group as they ascended the tall mountain and felt at ease. He trusted this squad completely and to have them tag along made the trip all the more tolerable in the cold.

"So Captain, how much further until we reach the designated area?" Eld inquired as the noise settled down and the team went back to a comfortable silence, the only noise being the occasional sound of the horses neighing and the crunch of the snow beneath their hooves.

"Soon by the looks of it. The report said that the 'hunter' lives at the top of the mountain. Judging by how long we've been out here and the steady decrease of the temperature, I'd say we'll be arriving soon." Levi answered.

"Let's pick up the pace, it's already mid-afternoon and it's starting to get cloudy up here." Levi concluded. He wanted to get out of the cold and back as soon as possible, especially with all the aberrants running around, they couldn't risk being out in the open for too long. The longer they went the more tired and cold the horses would be and he didn't want to get suddenly ambushed out in the open without any assurance of his squad's safety.

"How long do you think this 'hunter' has been doing this for? And for what reason?" Petra inquired. Her horse trotted next to Levi's and he could tell from her tone of voice that she was genuinely concerned and curious about the person in question.

"We're not sure, but Erwin thinks for at least a year but nothing's conclusive. Nothing was reported until about a year ago but that wasn't until the town noticed, so God knows how long this has been going on for." Levi declared as he turned towards Petra and addressed her question. He pulled the reins of his horse when he felt that his steed was turning in a slightly different direction and peering off the trail, ensuring that his horse would go back on track and follow the path ahead.

"But why would someone just kill aberrants all alone way up in the mountains, and outside Wall Rose of all places? It doesn't make sense. This area is practically destitute besides Shiganshina, there's not a lot of human settlements in this area. Not to mention they're probably by themselves judging by what the reports said." Petra wondered.

"Hmm, I wouldn't say that it doesn't make any sense." Hanji chimed in.

"What do you mean Hanji?" Petra asked.

"Well if you think about it, some things add up. For one, this person decided to be all alone up in the mountain rather than stay with the rest of town of Shiganshina, another is that this person is capable of taking down aberrants without any hunter training or equipment and you have to consider the fact that this person is possibly doing this for a very specific reason." Hanji speculated. She pushed up her glasses as she usually did when she was thinking, which turned out to be an unconscious habit she had that Levi found to be an odd quirk, but he strangely thought that it suited Hanji's personality and inquisitive nature.

"So what you're saying is that this person is a hermit, psycho who likes killing aberrants?" Levi hinted at after Hanji's long explanation.

"No dumbass, just that this person chose to remain isolated, perhaps they're trying to keep Shiganshina out of it and that's why they're not going back into town. Maybe they felt that they couldn't stand living there, or maybe something horrible happened to make them feel resentment towards the town. These are just speculations, but to have the will and determination to remain up in the mountains killing aberrants all alone says something about the motivation behind all of this. Perhaps it's revenge, who really knows." Hanji concluded.

Levi couldn't say anything after that. Not when it hit so close to home, not after what he had been through. He simply allowed Hanji's words to echo in the back of his mind as he directed his horse to continue forward. Levi could see the peak of the mountain, finally after four hours going up, he could see in the distance a small run down cabin of sorts near the clearing.

"Alright everyone, there's a cabin up ahead, let's stop to see what we can find out. Everyone move out." Levi commanded. He lightly tapped his horse with his foot to kick his steed in a faster trot now that they were nearing the cabin.

When they arrived Levi and his squad dismounted allowing the horses a few moments of rest and he grabbed his favourite sabre that was tied to the satchel on his horse. He tied the thread of the scabbard of his sword to his belt and swiftly pulled out his Glock 20 handgun pistol from his holster for easy access.

"Alright we're scoping the area for any potential threats. Our priority is the target 'hunter' not killing every single damn aberrant we see. Got that? I don't want to lose any men out here, especially to these low breed bastards. Are we clear?" Levi instructed.

"Roger mc. Roger mon Capitan!" Hanji squealed with delight. She hopped into the air and skipped with excitement at the prospect of more aberrants to capture and study as she usually did. Her odd interest in those vile creatures always confused Levi. They were ugly and disgusting and he found them to be very stupid, not worth his time, so why Hanji liked them so much he never understood.

"Eld, Gunther you'll be guarding outside to ensure none of these bastards catch us by surprise. Oluo see if you can find any tracks outside around here, Hanji and Petra you're with me." Levi instructed.

Everyone saluted with their hands over their hearts, bodies straight and fist above their heart to show their loyalty and confirmation of their orders, then separated. Petra and Hanji followed closely behind Levi as instructed. They approached the cabin carefully, all on high alert and ready for any potential surprise attacks. They raised their guns, and surrounded the door with Levi at the front ready to kick down the door. They waited, listening for any sound or semblance of activity that could indicate if the cabin was occupied or empty. With a quick hand gesture, Levi ensured that it was safe and he kicked down the rusty wooden door.

The door groaned under the pressure of his kick and gave way, slamming on the floor with a loud thud, the hinges of the door hanging on the frame. The darkness of the cabin gave it an eerie atmosphere and provided no insight on what was inside. They entered carefully, each step they made creating a groan of the wood under their feet. He leaned on the old boards. They felt thin and veined, frozen by a hundred winters, baked by a hundred summers. They smelled of dust and mold. The inside was just as dreary as the outside, providing no sense of comfort.

More than likely this was a place just for someone to rest in, the state of the inside told Levi that the cabin was not looked after and not maintained. Ragged, half torn, dirty carpets covered the floor, a room off to the side was barely big enough to exhale into and seemed to only have one small single size bed with the mattress being in a state of decay. The mattress was almost in tatters with the stuffing popping out near the corners and clearly had a previous owner judging by the stains littering the thing.

A single light burned from a small candle that was close to being snuffed out with the wax molding into the broken wardrobe, casting light on a chintz couch and an antique Quaker chair, clearly either stolen from an abandoned home or given by the state of the furniture. Scratch marks and gashes could be seen on closer inspection engraved onto the wooden chair and couch.

The walls were no better than the bedroom, crumbling rock walls made of cement were holding the cabin in place and were housing many cobwebs and dead bugs. Velvet tattered drapes framed the windows, the inner curtains remained shut, not allowing any daylight to enter. A fireplace sat in the middle of the main family room, providing some warmth in the otherwise dead cabin.

What little wood was used to maintain the fire was long gone and a small bundle of twigs sat near the hearth pathetically. Broken glass and dishes could be seen littering a small round table, probably where someone would eat given the amount of food stains that covered the table. Yellow stained papers cluttered the floor, drawings and hand drawn maps of some kind littered the floor and coal was scattered all over, most likely used to draw and use for writing. Overall, the whole cabin was worn out and on the verge of collapsing.

Levi scrunched his face in disgust at the state of the living conditions of the whole room. Everything was caked in dust and mold, stale bread and dried meat was left out haphazardly showing some signs of rotting. Someone was clearly here judging by the candle and food, however they must have been gone for a few days based on how the food was still relatively edible, bedsides the slight mold on one side of the meat.

"My God, how could someone live like this? It feels so dead in here." Petra lamented in a soft tone. She seemed genuinely upset given by her scent and her sorrowful expression. She was looking specifically at the torn blankets and tattered carpets as she asked, clearly indicating her soft nature and empathy.

"Well whoever they are, are clearly someone young," Hanji informed quietly. She was standing near the fireplace inspecting the papers that littered the carpet like tiny ants on the ground when she offered her insight.

"What do you mean Hanji? How can you tell?" Levi questioned. He turned to Hanji in confusion thinking that it was very odd how she could speculate something like that so quickly. He walked towards her, passing by Petra to get a clearer view on what she was looking at.

"Here, see these papers? The handwriting is very messy and looks like a child's writing. Take a look." Hanji handed him one of the many papers to inspect. He took it from her gingerly and looked to see what she meant. The letters were crooked and large and seemed to be slanted. There were many spelling errors and many words had been scratched out with a heavy, strong line. Other odd markings and odd symbols cluttered the page making the writing almost illegible.

"Just because the writing is large and the letters are crooked doesn't mean a kid wrote them. They obviously were using coal and the chunks were large so of course the handwriting would be shit. Have you seen Oluo's writing? Not to mention you always say my writing looks like someone was trying to hold their piss in while taking a dump at the same time," Levi grumbled recollecting Hanji's clipped words about his handwriting.

Despite Levi's attempt at humor and his calm demeanour, Hanji seemed serious. Her expression grave, her eyes downcast and lips set into a thin line, which was odd for Hanji considering her usual upbeat happy nature. She remained quiet for a few minutes and didn't respond to his light jab and Levi wondered if she would say anything until she suddenly turned to him.

"Look over there." She stated simply as she pointed towards the floor near the fireplace. Levi walked passed Hanji to inspect what she had been referring to. There, hidden underneath the tattered end of the carpet was a small shoe, the size clearly indicating that only a child would be able to wear it.

"Shit, things just got a whole lot more fucked up than I thought." Levi cursed with a sense of sadness. How could a child live through this he wondered.

Petra remained quite at the new revelation and walked towards the shoe and stared at it a few minutes before bending to pick it up and held it in her nimble fingers. She simply stared at the shoe then closed her eyes and placed her palm over the shoe to concentrate. She was resonating with the object to track the child which was one of her many abilities as a knight class vampire.

"He was here only two days ago. He left in a rush slightly angry, I think he was headed further up based on what I felt and saw." She lamented softly as she let go of the shoe and turned solemnly towards Levi with a grim expression on her face.

"Why did he leave?" Levi questioned. He ignored Petra's grim expression. Unlike Petra's soft nature and kind heart, Levi was used to the harsh realities of the world and understood what someone would have to do in order to survive. He felt that somehow he understood this child more now, especially knowing that once he was the same.

"I think I know where he went. Judging from the maps he drew, he was heading further up the mountain. It looks like a part of the map has been circled. It's past the forest trail and apparently there's a cave nearby." Hanji chipped in as she indicated and pointed at one of the maps that she had found among the chaos of papers.

"Seeing as how he left two days ago and how it's already approaching evening, we need to hurry. We'll leave the horses here. From here on out we'll have to run since we're faster than the horses and we'll get there before dark." Levi instructed.

Levi, Petra and Hanji left the deserted cabin, only taking with them the small hand drawn map and the feeling of gloom at what was to come. Anxiety was what they felt, but if any of them really had been affected by it, they were working hard on suppressing it. What good was fear now, of all times? They needed to rely on constant bravery, even if it meant feeling mildly unsure...no, there was no room for that, either. Levi needed to find that boy, he had to or else he would regret it for the rest of his life.

* * *

He had managed to climb down the cliff a few feet and found the perfect patch of ice and snow that he could use as an area to bring down a small avalanche of snow onto the cave. He had started to hack away at some of the ice and some of the huge chunks of icicles that hung from the edge of the cliff. He was making good progress and had hoped that he would be able to bury them before nightfall, but as usual, luck was not on his side. Right when some of the ice was cracking and breaking under his axe, the earth underneath him gave way and he, along with the snow and ice, came tumbling down right into the heart of the horde's nest.

The sudden plummet down disoriented the boy, all he heard was the crunch of snow, his harsh desperate pants as he tried to get back on his feet as he was tumbling and rolling down and down. He sight was blocked by the constant assault of snow and his body felt light as he continued rolling further down, bumping into tree stumps, ice and other hard objects nipping at his body like bites from a large dog.

Finally he came to a stop when he reached the very bottom and landing straight onto his back, his head hitting the frozen lake below creating a large crack to form in the otherwise perfect frozen water, reminding him of the cracks in his cabin walls. As he lay there disoriented, body sore and limbs numb. He felt searing hot pain, and he stared at the sky and despite the lack of sun there was a momentary hint of blue sky among the darkness, and even this bit of light was enough to release a flash of diamonds across the wide landscape, so oddly disfigured by its snowy adventure. Usually the snow stopped at this hour of the day, as if for a quick survey of what had been achieved thus far and it was oddly comforting even amidst the deadly creatures that moaned and growled at the sudden intrusion of their nest.

He had to get up and move or else he would be torn apart and eaten. He had to move, he had to fight in order to survive. To live was to fight and he had no other choice but to fight now. Testing his limbs he wiggled his digits hoping that nothing had broken on the way down, thankfully nothing had and with that small victory he swiftly got up.

A sudden wave of nausea and pain washed over him by his rushed movements. His head throbbed terribly and his eyes tried to adjust to the lack of light. With desperation he dodged out of the way when a larger beast charged at him in hunger. The creature's claws barley missing him and nicking his ankle as he dodged. The sudden pain of his cut made the boy angry at losing his axe and at the creature.

As if sensing his wound the other beasts become more alert, their eyes turning ruby red and all facing in his direction as they sniffed the air and caught sight of his blood. He panicked now trying to find his axe. Anxiety crept into his heart, and he was desperate as he surveyed the light coverage of snow that coated his feet and the lake. With a stroke of luck he managed to see a glint from his axe and he immediately dived for his only weapon, the slippery texture of the ice made it easy to do so. Finally he had a chance. With his weapon in hand he felt that he could defend himself and rip these creatures apart.

As if sensing his blood lust, the beasts circled around the boy, blocking any attempt at escape and surrounding him in a sea of red eyes. He panted harshly feeling his heart race in both fear and anticipation.

This was it, it was either him or them. Now all he had to do was wait for the first attack. Let the dance begin.

* * *

They had been running for roughly two hours and according to Hanji and the little map clutched in her hands they were soon to arrive at the edge of the cliff near the cave. The strain of using their abilities to speed through the cold snow and the way they rushed was taking a toll on his squad, all except for Levi. Due to his exceptional pure ancestry and abilities, he could continue on for longer if needed, but Petra, Oluo, and Gunther were only knight class, Hanji was Noble class so she was capable of handling the strain. Their furrowed brows and slightly flushed faces told Levi that they needed to hurry and find the boy before it was too late.

As they neared the cliff, a large howl of pain and agony boomed across the valley frightening everyone to an abrupt stop. What followed was eerie silence.

"What the hell was that?" Gunther sputtered. His eyes were wide and frantic, his whole body on edge as the rest of the squad.

Levi used his keen eyes that were made for the dark and zeroed in on the strangely chipped cliff and askew snow patch that showed a struggle that happened recently. He quickly ran over to the cliff and observed the depth and potential danger below. The moment he leaned over the cliff, the harsh smell of ozone and iron smashed into him like a tidal wave.

"We're going down, now!" Levi barked and with agility and speed he took a leap and jumped down ten feet below. The air howled in his ear and the cold wind biting his flesh as he descended. He landed gracefully as did the rest of his squad and what greeted them was death itself.

Piles of mangled corpses lay on the icy lake, limbs hung from bodies, some detached and thrown aside, others barely remaining attached to the torso of the aberrants. Bits and pieces of flesh and guts were exposed, coating the muddy snow a copper color that reminded him of rose tea and butterscotch. Some heads of the aberrants were detached and thrown haphazardly, a few eyeballs were hanging by thin veins and cords of muscle while some heads were missing parts of their jaws and noses. The ground was soaked with blood and standing there in the middle of the massive snowy graveyard was the boy they had been searching for.

His mangled brown hair was tangled and sticky with blood, patches of his long hair clung to his face with both sweat and dried blood. His shirt was torn and tattered and the right side of his shirt was missing the arm sleeve leaving him bare to the harsh wind and cold. His axe that was barley clasped in his right hand, dangled from his grasp and was dripping residue blood onto a small patch of ice. One of his shoes was missing and his ankle was cut leaving behind an ugly gash in its wake. His torso and pants were splattered with guts, flesh and blood, and his jaw was coated in blood. His left hand was quivering and twitching, his nails soaked with bits of flesh and blood.

He was oddly still and his eyes shone brightly, almost as if they were glowing in what little light was left from the setting sun. His chest heaved as it provided him with air that he desperately needed, as if he was a man drowning, causing tufts of cloudy air to hover above him like mist.

The carnage that occurred here was clearly one-sided and some of the bodies depicted a picture, almost as if this was the boy's canvas and he was the painter. The way the bodies were killed seemed to be done in a spitefully playful manner. Like he was teasing them, mocking them in their last moments of death.

The crunch of snow was loud among the silence. Levi turned to boy who couldn't be more than 9 or 10 years old and stared into the porcelain blue orbs filled with fire and slight resignation. The boy looked tired, worn down and beaten, but not ready to give up.

"Boy, will you come with me?" Levi stretched his pale hand towards him; hoping, praying that he would take it. He waited, watching the boy's every move.

Everything was still except for the soft snowfall and puffs of air as he breathed which rose up into the chilly air. The boy slowly raised his small scarred hand, hesitating to take the final step. Levi knew that this was just the beginning, he knew what was to come if he took his hand. He just didn't care.

.

.

.

_And that is the end of chapter 2 my friends! This was a doozy to type! I've never written this long of a chapter before and boy did it do a number on me, but the chapter practically wrote itself. I just want to add that vampires in my story are not all powerful and that different classes of vampire have weaknesses and abilities that are different from each class, as was slightly hinted here. I also tried to make them more human in both appearance and physical traits/emotions etc. Petra especially, since in some fics I've seen her to be a mean bitch and I think there's more to her than that. _

_Also to clarify it took the boy 2 days to get to the cliff and Levi's squad only 2 hours due to them being vampires._

_I also tried to bring in some manga elements like Eren's age when he first killed the human traders to save Mikasa (age 9), Levi's toilet humor, Hanji's bubbly personality before shit went down etc. I mostly tried to keep the character's core personality the same! Hope I did them justice :P _

_Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	3. What we call home

_Here is chapter 3. I'm posting as many chapters as possible for you guys since all the chapters are readily available on ao3. As usual page breaks means change in character perspective. Enjoy! _

* * *

The sun had finally gone down since the boy had fallen into the nest. He recalled tumbling down into the cold depths, but not much that happened after. He remembered the stench of rotting flesh, and the beast's foul body odor. He remembered how they had surrounded him, their red eyes gleaming in the dark, but not how he had won.

He was cold and drenched in blood, he could feel it and smell it in the chilly air. His clothes clung to him in sweat and dried blood and his left hand ached. He could start to feel exhaustion settling into his very bone marrows, his energy depleting the longer he stood among the grave of bodies beneath his feet.

What had happened? How did he win? He was disoriented and confused. Although he was elated that he had been victorious, he was disturbed at his lack of remembrance. Had he blanked out? If so, why? So many questions popping in his head giving him a slight headache.

The sudden stillness of the approaching night was like the flap of a crows wings; quiet and quick but with a certain softness to it. How was he supposed to get out now? His body ached, his feet frozen and the night steadily swallowing him whole within a sea of black.

As if to answer the boy's befuddled mind a sudden noise caught his attention. The rustling of the wind and the echo of a strong booming voice broke into the empty lake making him jostle in both fear and confusion. He swiftly turned behind him and saw something he would never forget in all his years to come.

Six figures descended into the frozen plain, some large and tall, others smaller in figure and standing. From what little light was left he could tell that some were men and others were women. The rustle of the fabric of their clothes disturbing his thoughts and bringing life to the deathly still night. Their green capes floating and fluttering behind them like the wings of a butterfly as they descended. They landed with grace and poise as if they were made to fly. He wished he could fly beyond the confines of the mountain, to be free of this snowy prison and felt an ache like the stab of an arrow etch into his heart for even thinking of the possibility.

They didn't look like the beasts so they must be different, but they have the same smell. The boy thought. They looked human, but one could never be too careful. The beasts had the same form as man, but were nothing like anything he had seen back in Shiganshina. They stood ten feet away, as still as trees, none had dared to move as if to frighten him away like some of the skittish deer he would happen to cross paths with in the forest trail near the cabin.

The shortest one standing in the front middle seemed to have a different air about him than the rest. He was one of the smallest in the group yet he seemed the most dangerous. His silky, coal coloured hair was parted neatly, his face like marble white slabs of stone, and his facial features seemed to be handsome as if carved impeccably by an artist. His jawline was sharp, his eyebrows thin, and nose small yet round, reminding him of one of the many buttons he tried to once sow back on his shirt with a flimsy piece of thread he tore from curtain sheets.

His body seemed fit from what he could see based on the outlines of his figure from the moon's soft glow and his clothing shaping the outline of his physique and muscles. His eyes were the most striking feature that captured the boy's attention. They were cold and resembled the sky after a harsh rainfall during the spring season; a stormy silver with the gleam of the blue sky hidden behind the clouds. The others seemed to be plain in comparison. Their strange clothes and uniforms the only thing striking and unusual thing to him.

He had never seen such strange attire before and wondered why they wore them. For what purpose? What did it mean? Who could these people be? Thoughts zipped into his mind like the sting of a thousand bees. Before he could even try to decipher their meaning, the being with the onyx coloured hair stepped forward, walking towards him. The crunch of the snow and his dark boots sounding intimidating with each step. He eyed the man like a hawk, weary of his every move and doubtful of the man's intention. He stopped a few feet before him and the boy waited for the next move this man could possibly make.

"Boy, will you come with me?" The man asked in a firm tone. His voice was more smooth and deep than he thought. It had a rough under tone that resembled the thunder of a storm, but was soothing and pleasing to his ears.

The man stretched his hand towards the boy in an invitation. The boy was startled yet confused. What could he want with him? Should he go with them? The doubt and fear that crept into his heart had him hesitate. The hand before him was strong due to the numerous calluses that had formed on his palm over the years, telling a different story all on their own.

Could he trust this man? Could he be willing to give himself over to this man who resembled thunder and lightning? He reached for his hand and could not sense any malice, fear or hatred that he usually felt whenever he was around another like he did when he resided in Shiganshina. As if sensing his strife, the man took the initiative and took the last step, clasping his hand with utmost care. He was gentle in the way he held his hand, slow and steady, and his grip was firm but not overbearing. His hand was more warmer than he thought would be given the man's appearance and cold demeanour.

As if feeling all his anxiety, pain and strength from before being sapped away, he let his small frame crash into the man before him, his axe completely falling from his right hand and clanking against the ice of the lake. Strong arms wrapped around the boy, and surprisingly, he pat the boy's head soothingly like a mother would her own child. The boy felt all his fear fade away with each pat, sudden exhaustion overtaking him. The last thing he remembered was the scent of lavender and the caress of a steady hand against his throbbing head before everything faded away like the night sky.

* * *

The boy had passed out as soon as he embraced him. Levi hardly had to use compulsion on the boy to get him to calm down. He was smaller than Levi imagined, his body more frail and tiny than he looked. He felt flimsy and was limp like a wilted flower, his bones poking and prodding Levi like thorns on a rose. The boy was ice cold to the touch and Levi wondered how he didn't freeze to death before they had arrived. He gently lifted the boy in his arms, carrying him to the rest of his squad. His lanky legs dangling and head resting against his shoulder. He was light, too light, it almost felt like he was carrying a feather that was ready to be blown away from the slightest wind.

Petra seemed distraught at the scene before her. Her lips stretched into a thin line, brows furrowed and eyes dim and completely zeroed in on the boy in his arms. She stood quietly with the rest of his squad, nobody said a single thing, all waiting patiently for further orders and slightly flabbergasted at the scene before them. The tension in the air was strong and Levi could smell and sense the distress and confusion among the group.

"Back to the horses. It's nightfall. The sooner we head back the better." Levi instructed in a soft tone as he looked over the boy. He was trembling slightly and the boy snuck his head closer towards his neck, snuggling closer to seek more heat unconsciously. A small hand grabbed onto the front of a his shirt in a vice like grip as the boy held on for dear life.

"Sir, you don't think that this is the 'hunter' do you? How could that be? I mean he's just a small boy." Gunther inquired. His brown eyes boring holes into Levi and his body taunt.

"By the looks of things it's highly possible. Right now isn't the best time for speculations. We have our orders and I said that we should leave. Before the boy freezes to death get your asses in gear." Levi pressed in a brisk, deep tone. He pushed through his squad and walked briskly to the base of the cliff without another word and settling the matter. He held the boy closer and more firmly before jumping and climbing up the cliff quickly and reached the top within minutes.

The moon casting a silvery tone to the snow, making it appear like glittering diamonds. The stars sprinkled the sky like fireflies and the trees casting a dance of shadows onto the snowy ground. His squad followed behind him, their steps like hushed whispers against the freshly fallen snow. Their scents telling him of their lingering questions and confusion. The track back was faster than it felt getting there in the first place. Their eyes adjusting to the deadly night, their senses on higher alert and the pressure of dread no longer suffocating them.

Finally reaching the cabin to where the horses remained tied to the trees, Levi went to his steed and with care, gently pulled one of his spare cloaks from his satchel and wrapped the boy in it, encasing him with the promise of warmth and safety. The boy hardly stirred at his ministrations, clearly showing his exhaustion. Levi saddled his horse, the boy still in his arms and ensured he was safely secured against his chest while his arms held him securely and his hands grasping the straps of his steed. His soft breathing and sigh of content indicating that he was steadily gaining warmth to his chilled body. His small head the only thing poking out of the cloak and resting against his firm chest.

"Let's go. We have to hurry back before dawn." Levi ordered kicking his horse to a steady trot, not too fast as to not jostle the boy awake or frighten him.

"Captain, what are we going to do with him?" Eld questioned nervously. He fidgeted in his saddle, almost as if he was uncomfortable with the question. His eyes focused on the dark path, avoiding any form of eye contact.

"Erwin said we had to bring whoever was responsible back with us. Personally, this is something I wasn't expecting. I'm not sure what will happen, but one thing is for sure. This boy is special and he is different than any other human child I have seen." Levi remarked.

He felt uncomfortable with the whole situation. What was he to do with such a small boy? Where would he go? To one of the feeding farms to become a feeder? To become a hunter and get listed under the legislation? There was one too many questions that needed answering and he felt that this was going to be one giant headache. He felt slightly annoyed that the boy was so young since it made the whole dilemma all the more complicated. However, seeing the boy nestle in his embrace, sleeping so soundly against him, didn't feel as terrible as he thought. Although he was covered in dirt and blood, Levi wasn't bothered at all and he felt a tinge of sympathy for him. He was getting too soft in his old age, he simply dismissed. There was no way he was getting attached to the little bundle in his arms. He shook the thought off and continued directing his horse in the dark using his keen eyesight and the moonlight as his guide.

"Still, to think that a child did all that, it just doesn't seem possible, especially a human child. How could someone cause that much destruction?" Eld pitched in solemnly. He sighed as he contemplated, trying to find an answer. He turned to Levi as if expecting an answer from him, his eyes serious and glowing in curiosity and concern.

"It's amazing if you ask me! Honestly astonishing! To think that this poor child had survived up here all alone. The poor little munchkin!" Hanji cooed in adoration and amusement. She cupped her hands together and batted her eyelashes in an attempt to appear sweet and endearing, but her face only reminded Levi of someone trying to take a shit.

"He's honestly so cute like that, all wrapped up in Levi's cloak! He's like a little baby all snuggled up against our grumpy Captain don't you think?" Hanji blubbered in excitement as she leaned slightly towards Levi on her horse and observing the boy sleep.

She leaned in further, her hand outstretched towards the boy, almost as if she was trying to pet him like a cat and her eyes held a gleeful shine that only showed her underlying tone of mischief.

"Stop that, buzz off you damn freak. You'll wake him up. Keep your dirty hands off him." Levi growled suddenly. He pulled the reins of his horse and his horse neighed from the harsh tug. He pressed the boy closer, wrapping one of his hands around him as if he was hiding him. His eyes gleamed brightly, his expression stern and fangs elongated and threatening.

Hanji stilled and her eyes were wide and owl-like behind her glasses. His squad all stopped in their track, all tense from the quick change of their captain. The air thick with tension and apprehension. Then Hanji bellowed with laughter and broke the uncomfortable air. She clutched her sides and squirmed in her saddle.

"Oh my dear! You're already so smitten with the kid it's adorable! You hardly know him yet you're acting like a mother cat protecting her babies! This is just golden. You should see your face!" Hanji cackled gleefully. She laughed so hard that she leaned too far on her saddle and almost fell off, but she quickly grabbed her saddle, adjusting herself upright while laughing.

Levi narrowed his eyes in anger at her bold actions and joyful attitude towards his reaction. He honestly didn't know what overcame him to make him act that way, but somehow, seeing the boy bundled up and safe in his arms made him feel overly protective over him. He usually wouldn't care at all about a snot nosed brat, but this kid had managed to worm his way into his shrivelled heart without even doing anything. It amazed him at how soft he has gotten over the years and perhaps a bit too lenient on Hanji for allowing her to get away with teasing him.

"You done? Or are you planning on waking up all the damn aberrants in the whole entire village with your damn cackling?" Levi snapped. He turned away from her to avoid getting even more pissed than he already was from watching her howl like a damn dog.

"Oh come on Levi, you have to admit that he is cute! Plus your reaction was hilarious, although over the top. We never get to see you like this, acting all sensitive. It's adorable really." Hanji taunted. She smiled wide, her lips stretched into an evil expression and her eyes shining with excitement at the new revelation. He just knew that now that she had discovered another way to taunt him by using one of his lapses in controlling his emotions, that she wouldn't stop teasing him. He was already regretting bringing her along.

"Fuck off." Levi snarled. He regained his composure and pulled the reins getting his horse to move again to avoid her prodding, escaping any further analysis at his behaviour.

"It is strange though, the way you reacted Captain was slightly aggressive, like a new mother don't you think?" Petra smirked as she playfully jabbed at his odd behaviour. She smiled knowingly at him and he felt her previous apprehension and sadness ebb away.

"Don't you start Petra, Hanji is already getting on my damn nerves. I don't need to hear taunting in stereo from you too." Levi grumbled as he felt slightly embarrassed at his overbearing reaction towards the boy.

"A mother! Impossible. Captain Levi wouldn't show such weak emotions! He is one of the strongest Pureblood vampires. His prestigious lineage showing his strength and -"

"Oh shut up Oluo, you're annoying. You're boner for Captain Levi is showing by how much your drooling over him." Petra interrupted him in a snarl.

"Sh-shut up Petra! I don't have a fucking boner!" Oluo barked in embarrassment. He kicked his horse unconsciously in his flustered state and made his horse suddenly take off in a speedy run. His startled yelling and cursing at his horse, disturbing the playful atmosphere. Gunther and Eld laughed and Petra sighed in disappointment, being used to his idiotic behaviour and constant fumbling. Hanji, at this point, was crying and wiping her eyes in glee watching Oluo stumble and fall right off his horse and land ungracefully on his ass into the snow while his horse continued trotting on without its owner.

"Well I'm glad you're having fun Hanji." Petra smiled.

"It's always fun watching Oluo acting like an ass while trying to act cool." Hanji remarked as she shook her head trying to shake off her bout of continuous giggling.

"But seriously Captain, what are you thinking of doing with him?" Petra inquired, her tone of voice losing its previous joy and her expression turning serious again as she addressed one of the many problems that they were in fact saddled with in their current predicament.

"I'm not sure to be honest. We know nothing about the kid. Why he was here, where he came from, who his parents are. Everything is a goddamn mystery at this point. I wanna know more about him before we decide anything. I can sense that the kid ain't normal." Levi explained.

"What do you mean Captain?" Petra asked.

"It's a feeling is all. I can't explain it but this kid is different than any human child I've seen. There's something fucked up going on here and I want to know what it is." He answered in a clipped manner, trying to avoid any further inquiry in the manner.

"The way he killed those aberrants says something about his physical strength and agility. All he had on him was an axe and the way the bodies were torn apart doesn't add up. Do you think I could possibly study him Levi? I'm so curious about how he did it! Did he slash at them or did he use his hands to do it! I WANT TO KNOW!" Hanji shrieked in joy and curiosity. Her expression turning manic and her face flushed with pure joy.

"Study him? He's not a freaking animal Hanji and I'm pretty sure Erwin won't let you near him, especially after what happened to Sonny and Bean. You practically ripped those two apart from all the 'studying' you were doing to them." Levi cringed at recollecting how he was called over for the clean up when Erwin had found out what Hanji had done to the two aberrant test subjects she had in her possession. That was the last time Erwin approved of letting Hanji be in charge of any experiments concerning aberrants.

"Oh come on Levi! That was only one time! You're exaggerating." She whined.

"Whatever. Just keeps your damn claws off him until we decide what we're gonna do with him." Levi sniffed at her in agitation.

After that catching up with Oluo and helping him back onto his horse, the rest of his squad simmered down and remained in a comfortable silence, solely focusing on getting back to Trost district before dawn. They were tired and needed rest, not to mention some of them were hungry and needed blood to sustain themselves. Levi could stand not drinking blood and could even go on for a week without needing blood tablets, which only proved his superior standing compared to others.

They continued riding West for a few hours, following back their trail, the horse footprints from before guiding them back steadily. After passing the forest and reaching the bottom of the mountain the moon was at its peak, meaning that the sun wouldn't be rising just yet and that they still had a few hours until daybreak. They had finally reached the small village of Shiganshina and could tell that they would be leaving the district in due time.

The town itself was oddly still. Even though it was night, the town itself seemed strangely dead and weary of their presence. A gust of dry wind passes through the maze of ancient houses where windows have long shattered in the weakness of their structures and rotting boards, some broken, others hanging trying to cover the empty eyes of every abandoned home. Doors hang on the few threads of their hinges and groan with pain at every sway. Some of the other homes that weren't as badly damaged still looked dreary in comparison. Deserted streets, tumble-down stalls, shutters hanging loosely that didn't seem to shield all the cold night air and some shingles of certain roofs were hanging limply, others chipped and cracked from mother nature herself. Chickens, goats, and a few cows were seen in makeshift sheds; straw, wood and mud were the only materials used that held the structure together and measly posts made of rotting wood acted as a fence to keep in some of the animals that roamed around during the day.

The town itself looked to be on the verge of collapse and the few lights that glowed in the dark showed signs of some life, some semblance of townsmen hiding away from the winter's harsh nights and forsaken creatures that plague their village. As they rode their horses through town, they passed by each home, observing the destruction and pathetic scenery. As they approached the entrance to the town, they could see a few men gathered quietly outside near one of the porches of what looked like a bar. They were all huddled together like vultures gathering around for scraps of meat. Their hushed voices rising as they rode closer to the group.

"Do you think the hunter will even come down from the mountain? He's been stuck there for months!"

"Hunter my ass! He's a thief I tell you! Last month I found some of my chickens in a fright and when I checked on them a few were missing from their pens!"

"What about all the aberrants that haven't been coming around lately? Do you think the hunter is feeding them? Maybe that's why they stopped attacking the village!"

"Don't be a fool! It's that boy I tell you! He's a curse that plagues this village!"

The constant bickering and arguing drew Levi's attention towards the group and he instantly recognized the booming, screeching voice of the man who mentioned a curse. His oily, matt brown, short hair, wrinkled wide forehead showing his receding hairline and his fearful brown coloured eyes surrounded by bags and wrinkles showing nights of restless sleep, expressing his paranoia and stress.

"Well if it isn't Kitz Woermann. I'm glad to see that you're performing your duties so well this late in the night." Levi sassed, stopping his horse in front of Kitz and his fearful group of men.

"Lord… Ackerman what a _pleasure _to see you here of all places." Kitz grumbled, forcing his face into a pleasant smile, but looked more to be one of pain and irritation. The rest of his men quickly stopped all their activities and stood in fright, their eyes downcast and faces grim.

"What brings you to our little village my lord?" He muttered in fake small talk and pleasantry.

"Well if you had done your job right the first time Kitz we wouldn't be here freezing our asses off trying to fix your fucking mistake now would we?" Levi scoffed.

"My job is to ensure that creatures like you do not enter our village. Your disgusting breed of monsters have been out of control! You can't blame me for your species causing so much chaos in MY village!" Kitz retorted sharply, his voice rising in anger and his face scrunching up in distaste.

"Careful, watch what you say to me you disgusting human. If it weren't for the farming pact you would've been long gone, dead, or spreading your legs to please any vampire who would be dumb enough to buy you. We keep you safe, and I'm here to wipe your ass of your mistake since you didn't have the balls to patrol the area yourself." Levi seethed in anger and revulsion in a low tone. His eyes turning a dangerous cobalt blue, gleaming brightly in the night like a pair of wolf eyes focused on its prey. His fangs sharp and menacing and his face distorted in a scowl.

Kitz jumped at his expression, clearly disturbed and his men all fidgeting at the looming threat of violence and destruction as Levi's aura seemed to crush them. Silence suffocated the air and Kitz avoided eye contact, clearly afraid of challenging Levi any further. His eyes zipping all around until finally zeroing in at the bundle in Levi's arms.

"That boy! Lord Levi where did you find him?" Kitz shouted in sudden fear and agitation. His expression showing his distress.

"That's not your concern, mind your own damn business and focus instead on doing your fucking job." Levi growled in warning, not liking the probing question. He wrapped his hand tighter around the boy's shoulder, pulling him closer blocking any chance of Kitz possibly grabbing or looking at him.

"Please my lord! Leave that _thing _alone! He's the cause of all this mess! It'll only bring you misfortune." Kitz shouted in panic, waving his arms in fear.

"What the fuck are you saying?" Levi snapped in confusion. He was starting to get really angry. His patience was wearing thin dealing with this moron and he wanted to get the hell out of this shit fest as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand to be in the same area with someone like Kitz. Anyone from the military police that patrolled each district within the three walls was dumber than the next and Kitz was no exception, in fact he took first place in terms of stupidity.

"That boy is to blame for all the attacks on our village! Ever since that boy stepped foot here the amount of aberrant attacks increased! He stole food, would fight with other children in town and was like a wild beast! He was out of control and the aberrants followed the boy around like a curse! He's a fucking plague to our village." Kitz shrilled in distaste. His eyes turning a molten brown as he glared at the boy who continued to slumber on despite the chaos.

"A plague? That's rich coming from you. Do you even realize that this boy that you cursed was the so call 'hunter' that was residing on the mountain top protecting your sorry ass?" Levi retorted in a cold tone. His anger rising, and his blood beginning to boil.

"That's impossible! It can't be! He's a fucking monster!" He screeched, his face turning maroon in anger and embarrassment. He stomped his foot into the snow as he argued, resembling a child throwing a temper tantrum when things didn't go their way.

"Believe whatever the hell you want. This boy is no longer your concern. If you want your village to be safe then I recommend doing your job or else I will have to remove you of your pathetic position here. This boy was doing a better job than you ever did and he's ten times the human you ever were Woermann." He threatened. His tone of voice not leaving any room for argument. With a harsh pull of his horse's reins, he urged his horse to a fast trot and pushed ahead, his squad following behind him.

"That bastard. If I ever see his rat face ever again I swear to God I'll rip his head off." Levi cursed, his voice gruff and frown deepening.

"As much as I hate that man too, you need to chill there Levi. Your aura is kinda smothering me." Hanji suggested in a light tone. Her voice was gentle and calm, her face settling into a small smile as she tried to diffuse the situation and calm his raging aura that was stifling.

"Captain you don't think that boy was possibly protecting the town do you?" Petra inquired as she interrupted Hanji and turned her full attention to him. Her honey coloured eyes serious and gleamed with slight worry.

"I have to agree with Petra. Based on what I observed and saw in that cabin and what we just heard from Kitz, I think that he had something to do with the boy leaving town. My guess is that they made him an out cast and threw him out of the village thinking that they solved their little aberrant infestation problem." Hanji theorized. Her tone clipped yet curious.

"If it's true and the boy somehow was a magnet for trouble they may have thrown him out in fear. If my theory is correct it would explain their hatred for him and not to mention why the boy would stay up in the mountain." She continued, her voice soft and her tone sombre.

"If he did stay up there killing aberrants even after they threw him out then why would be protect the town?" Eld interjected, sounding befuddled. His face expressing that he was doubtful of Petra and Hanji's theory.

"Maybe he knew all along that the aberrants were after him and he isolated himself in fear that he was going to be thrown out elsewhere and chose to stay there since he had nowhere else to go." Petra concluded. She looked sorrowful with her eyes dim and face devoid of any emotion. Her voice a mere whisper.

The thought had crossed Levi's mind, but hearing it out loud sounded possible. Although cruel, it wasn't unusual for human settlements and extremists to cast out people due to paranoia and the power of fear. He had even heard of certain towns offering sacrifices to aberrants in urban areas, tying women and children to outposts and trees outside of town during the night in hope that the hunger of the beasts would be satiated.

As they pondered the thought, his squad became entirely silent. The horses hooves and snorts of exhaustion from their steeds the only thing present along with the feeling of gloom hanging about the group. They continued on in a chilled quite and Levi felt all the more tired and disgusted after all he had seen. His thoughts were turning poisonous and he really wanted to get this boy out of Shiganshina, away from the white long winter he faced alone. Perhaps he did feel sympathetic towards the boy, maybe he did wedge his way into his heart, but that didn't bother him at all. The small boy in his arms was like a precious package of treasure, the weight of him light but significant. He would help this boy, no matter what, this he swore.

* * *

He felt light as a cloud, cozy and the feeling of warmth and softness engulfed him. He could feel that he was on some sort of bed judging by how he was lying down but couldn't deduce much else. He slowly opened his tired eyes and looked around in confusion. He was in some sort of bedroom by the looks of things. The bed covers were a soft pastel grey in colour with diamond patterns, the sheets were made of a material he wasn't familiar with. It was cool and seemed to flow like water against his skin. It looked expensive and he never had felt something so exquisite before. A small, sleek white and grey bedside table was to his left and a simplistic navy blue patterned lamp rested on the table casting a soft glow in the room. The bed itself was the largest he had ever seen and was what he remembered someone a long time ago from wall Sina calling a "four poster" bed, whatever that meant. The ceiling was high and the colours bland but somehow the plush white carpets and soft bed made him feel safe.

"Seems like you're finally awake." A low, soft, voice chimed in the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest in panic, he flipped the covers back and stood on weak knees, forcing himself to his feet despite the fear overwhelming him. There sitting in a plush looking desk chair sat the raven haired man from before to his right. His posture was relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, his hands curled around a red leather book and his skin appearing to be smooth and glow in the low light. His attire was simplistic and looked comfortable. He wore black sweatpants and a porcelain white long sleeve, cotton shirt, his feet bare and buried in the white fuzzy carpet, keeping his digits warm.

"Relax kid, you're in my room in Wall Rose in Trost district. Not far from where we found you. We just want to know what you were doing at the top of the mountain all alone." He explained calmly. He closed the book and rested it in his lap, then leaned back in the chair, throwing one of his arms on the back of chair observing the boy.

Trost district? He never ventured that far outside of Shiganshina. By foot it would take about a week so how did he end up here so quickly? He was disoriented and confused at the sudden news. After mulling over that piece of news he realized that the clothes he wore were not his own. They were clean and frankly in a better condition than his previous clothes. They smelled of rain water and lavender and fit his frame well enough and his new shirt didn't slip off like his previous shirt did due to its larger size. The shirt was an olive green, soft to the touch and his pants just as soft in a cream colour. His feet were covered by fuzzy white socks, soaking his bony toes in heat. He felt cleaner too, his skin didn't feel as dirty or oily as it did before and his hair was less tangled. His wounds from before were cleaned and attended to, his ankle that had been cut was wrapped in clean gauze.

As if the man could read his mind he answered his investigation on his cleanliness. "I removed all your other clothes and gave you a sponge bath since you were covered in dirt and blood. I couldn't let you sleep in my bed with that shit covering you." The man deadpanned in a bored tone of voice.

The man stood up abruptly and put his book on the night table as he approached him slowly. Weary of the man's intentions and his overbearing aura the boy jumped into action and growled. His face twisted into a snarl and his viridian eyes burning with warning of aggression and violence if provoked. The man seemed undeterred by his defensive stance or his low growling and continued to walk towards him. He didn't like how close this man was getting, nor did he like this powerful, potential threat looming over him. Without hesitation he hopped over the bed to the other side of the room and found a corner to the wall beside a wooden dresser and managed to squeeze himself there. Still growling he hid, hoping that the man would lose interest and leave.

He stopped when he was a few feet away from the dresser and simply watched the boy. His beady, viridian eyes the only thing visible. He sighed and shook his head in what looked his amusement.

"Looks like you're not as friendly awake as you are when you were sleeping. I have food for you and a fresh bath waiting. If you want to stay hunched up over there all night be my guest." He said in a monotone voice. His facial expression showed nothing and his eyes were warmer than when he first met the man. His whole demeanour more relaxed and his aura changing to a softer one. Almost as if it was caressing him like hot fingers tingling his skin, teasing him and trying to persuade him to leave his hiding place.

"By the way, my name is Levi. I don't suppose you'd tell me your name so I'll call you beastie until you do. I'll be back little beastie." He mocked in a playful tone. With that, he turned and walked to the door, turned the silver door knob and closed it softly behind him. His movements were graceful as the rest of him was.

Levi was a pleasant, although strange name and the boy thought that it fit the man well. So now he knew the name of the man who had brought him out of his wintry prison. He felt a small sharp pain worm its way into his chest and felt odd. What was this feeling? It was strange and new.

Without dwelling too much on this strange occurrence, he remained still, hunched up on the laminate flooring in his corner of safety and tried to decipher some of the odd looking objects that were lying about the room that he never had seen before. Shiny objects with long pointed ends sat on the desk which were possibly used to write with judging by how they rested on piles of paper. Feeling braver now that Levi had left the room, he stood from his spot and walked over to the desk to take a closer look at the shiny stick. The desk was taller than him, his head only reaching the top drawer and the piles of paper resting above eye level. He would have to climb onto the chair to get a closer look. He looked back to the door and waited to see if Levi was coming back, when he heard nothing and deemed the coast clear, he burst into action.

He pulled the chair out from behind the desk and hopped up with nimble movements, his practice of climbing the tall oak trees back in the woods making him agile and confident in his agility. He stood on the seat and hunched over the piles of papers, his curiosity for what was written and the shiny stick winning over his sense of precaution of getting caught. The handwriting was cursive and neat, each line of writing was orderly and each letter was clear. The letters swirled together looking beautiful and reminding him of some of the printed writing he saw in one of the books he managed to steal from the village. Turning his attention elsewhere, he finally could reach the shiny stick and wanted to see what it was. Reaching his small stubby hand over the desk and piles of paper, he picked it up gingerly and felt the smooth cool surface. He sniffed the pointy end and could recognize the familiar scent of ink coming from it. So his hunch was correct, it was used for writing. But how? Where does the ink come from? Feeling daring, he clasped the stick in hand and looked for a blank space in the piles of paper to try out this new invention. He was dying to know how it worked and was excited to find out. Before the stick could touch the surface of the paper he heard the tell tale footsteps of someone approaching the room.

In panic he squeaked and dropped the metal stick, he lost his sense of balance in his rush to get down from the chair and fell down onto the floor with a light thud. The stick rolling along on the floor and stopping near his feet. The door opened shortly after and Levi had returned holding a tray in his hands with a bowl and a cup resting on it. His eyes wide with surprise and his usual bored face was morphed into one of slight shock.

The boy didn't dare to move or breath in fear that Levi would figure out what he was up to and he didn't want to have to defend himself if necessary. Levi's face lost its shock and his eyes shifted to the stick on the floor then to him, taking in the scene as if putting the pieces of a puzzle together to figure out what had happened.

"That's a pen, we use it for writing. Ink is stored in the handle in a small tube that comes out when you write." He explained as he set the tray down on the desk and began setting his papers aside and putting the bowl and glass of water down from the tray.

"If you want you can have it. I have tons anyways. Come and eat. The soup will get cold."

Well that was not what he was expecting. Levi had managed to answer his questions even before he voiced them, as if reading his mind. Levi was an enigma to him. He seemed rough and cold on the outside but was gentle and at times very sharp. Levi was interesting and the boy was curious about him. He felt more comfortable knowing that Levi may be able to answer any more of his questions in the future and stored that tidbit of information for later.

He stood up on his lanky feet and padded towards Levi as he watched Levi pull up another chair that was pushed up against the far end of the room and sat down. Levi was waiting for him to join him now. It was his turn to move now. He was skittish and a bit weary of his new guardian. He could smell the rich aroma from the bowl and was reminded of his hunger, his stomach growling in protest.

"Well hurry up, we don't have all night." Levi huffed as he crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair with impatience.

Letting his hunger win over his fear, he sat on the chair at the desk and grabbed the bowl in haste. Carrots, potatoes, and meat greeted his eyes and he knew that this was stew, one of the dishes he had come to love during his stay in Shiganshina, but was hard to come by due to lack of fresh game and deer with all the aberrants running around and killing any prey. He ate in haste, forgoing the spoon and gulping down the warm liquid and chewing in haste to satiate his hunger. He savoured each bite and felt a sense of calm wash over him as he ate. Levi sat quietly observing him and had what seemed like a pleased expression. His mouth pulled into a small smile and the corner of his lips turned up slightly, eyes gleaming and brows relaxed.

He felt oddly at peace and was greeted with a rush of happiness, an emotion he didn't think he would feel again, and certainly not with this stranger who he had just met. He finished within a matter of minutes, then set the bowl down. His eyes shifting back to Levi in slight caution and inquiry.

The two sat in silence, each watching the other until Levi moved, he placed his left elbow on the desk as he leaned in slightly, his chin resting in the palm of his hand with a small smile on his face. He reached his right hand ever so slowly towards the boy. He jumped slightly and growled as a warning to stay away. His hand was larger up close and he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Levi stilled, his hand hovering above his head. He chuckled softly at his reaction and without hesitation or fear pat his head. His touch feather light and his warm hand tender in its ministrations.

"Don't worry little beastie, you're home now." He whispered faintly. His voice was like a soft rumble and his words echoed in the quiet room reverberating in his chest.

A twinge of pain ruptured in his chest and he suddenly felt dizzy and hot. His skin burned and his eyes stung with unshed tears. The wave of emotions crashing like a storm just like the silver of Levi's eyes.

So this is what "home" was like.

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.

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_I was largely inspired for some fluff and comfort in this chapter so ya'll can thank the k-drama "Come and Hug me" for making this chapter happen. Listening to the music for that show really helped me type this chapter since I was stuck for a bit there :P Not to mention the chapter title. I really like to base my chapter titles on something that impacted me and the characters during the chapter, hence the significance of "home"._

_Not much action going on I know, but I want to try to develop the characters and story first unlike the first time I wrote this fic. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing this! _

_See you guys in the next chapter!_


	4. Eren

Levi didn't know what had possessed him to pet the boy so affectionately. It was the spur of the moment feeling that overcame him and before he knew it, he was petting his chestnut hair. His hair, although somewhat tangled and dry, reminded Levi of straw, rough and stringy, obviously neglected and the ends split in need of a serious haircut. Surprisingly the boy was reacting differently than Levi thought he would to the new display of affection. He was oddly compliant and seemed to melt under his touch, resembling a cat that was enjoying a good grooming. His viridian eyes were closed, and his body slack as he leaned into his touch.

As much as Levi was enjoying the moment of serenity, he had things that needed to get done and he wanted to get Erwin off his back as quickly as possible. His incessant words ringing in his ears the moment they had returned from the mission and recollecting them was grating on his nerves and breaking the peaceful atmosphere.

They had just returned, barely setting foot inside the compound, dismounting their horses and setting foot inside, the heat from the heaters blasting in his frozen face. He was tired and frustrated from the long travel and carrying the slumbering boy in the view of hungry vampires was pissing him off. Their beady eyes focusing on the boy like prey, their smiles and lustful expressions gleeful at the possibility of a new feeder. If it weren't for his imposing aura warding off any leering eyes and hungry vampires, they would have pounced at the first chance of a free meal.

His team had split up, each heading to their own quarters for the day and getting ready for their daily duties the next day. Just knowing that he had to write a report on the mission was exhausting and a total pain in his ass. He sighed as he went to the elevators, shifting the boy to press the button to go up. He waited impatiently for the elevator and decided to take a little peek at the little package in his arms. The boy still slept on, almost in a deathly still slumber. His chest rising and falling with his even breaths, his face was relaxed and his nose slightly red from the cold and cheeks a rosy colour from the harsh winds. He looked frankly a little cute, as much as Levi didn't want to admit it and it was endearing to see him so at ease and comfortable in his arms.

The ding of the elevator startled him from his musings and he stepped inside in haste, trying to escape the lingering leering eyes of the other soldiers and vampires that were ambling about. The apprehension for the incoming lecture from Erwin tiring Levi out more as he ascended the building. He got out on the twentieth floor and walked down the pristine hallway, floors freshly mopped and waxed just the way he liked it. Thankfully after snapping at the new cadets about their sloppy cleaning duties had kicked them into gear and ensured the cleaning was done to his standards. He was reaching Erwin's office when the door opened and out stepped Mike, fully dressed in his survey corps uniform, his sand coloured hair unusually messy and sky blue orbs tired, most likely due to his recent return from another patrolling mission.

"Mike, glad you're back. How did patrolling go?" Levi inquired. He was genuinely curious about Mike's condition and how their new tactic was going since he implemented the idea of coating the outer walls of Wall Rose in the blood of dead animals to see if the aberrants would be warded off from hanging around the walls, waiting anxiously for prey.

"Hmm, went better than I expected. They still hang around the wall but the distance that they approached was larger. Seems like the animal blood wards them off a bit since they like fresh kill." He murmured groggily, clearly tired from the long night of patrolling and being nocturnal only straining his sleeping schedule whenever he patrolled during the day.

"Thank fuck for that. I was getting tired of sending men to check on the damn wall because of Erwin's constant nagging." Levi groaned in relief.

Mike smiled at Levi's remark then turned his attention to the boy in his arms. He suddenly became intrigued and curious at the new addition to the compound. His eyes glittering with interest and he leaned in taking a sniff at the boy, as he usually did out of habit when he was curious about something that caught his attention and interest.

"Who might this be? He smells human, and there's blood on him." He stated simply, his eyes turning back to Levi as he leaned back up from him.

"He's someone I found back in Shiganshina. Erwin sent me over due to reports of someone killing aberrants and we found him wondering around." Levi answered quietly. He wasn't too sure what he was allowed to divulge seeing as how the case was still open and the boy was a mystery to him.

As if sensing a lie or snuffing out his bullshit, Mike smirked and his eyes held a gleam of wonder. Mike then grabbed the handle of the door and held it open for Levi to go through as he stepped aside to make room for him.

"Take care captain. Have a…. pleasant evening." He chuckled in amusement, possibly from Levi's scowl or from understanding at the incoming lecture from Erwin that Mike himself possibly was on the receiving end of just recently.

Levi walked briskly inside, hearing the door shut softly behind him. Erwin sat at his desk as per usual, however he seemed more exhausted and annoyed than before he left for his mission. His eyes scurrying about the piles of paper littered across his desk, a few strands of his blonde hair sticking up, probably caused when he was pulling his hair in frustration, his face so pale that his veins were translucent, blue and red lines dancing on his skin like coloured tree branches during fall, showing his lack of attention to his hunger. His eyes shifted to Levi when he stopped in front of the desk.

"I'm assuming things have been taken care of by your speedy return?" He emphasized in a gruff tone of voice. His attention focused entirely on the boy in his arms, not even bothering to give Levi a second glance. He seemed listless as he zeroed in on the boy, almost as if he was dying for the chance to get to the bottom of his long inquiry and the mission. Eager to rid it from his long list of problems and demanding quests piling on his desk.

"Yeah, like you said there was someone killing aberrants alone. It was the kid, we found him alone by the mountain, near a cliff that was housing a horde of aberrants. It was a nest of them and this kid landed right in the middle of it." He reported, his voice dropping in tone and his energy depleting as he stood exhausted and cold.

"So he's the infamous 'hunter' we've been looking for. I hypothesized that it might be someone young, but not this young. I wasn't too sure what to expect but this is even better than I thought." Erwin revealed. His body seemed to relax as his shoulders dropped from tension and his arms unfolding and he dropped the folder he was holding onto the desk.

"What do you mean better than you thought? This is more trouble than I signed up for Erwin. He's just a kid and a human, this is more screwed up than we thought." He answered tartly. His words biting and expression dark as he tried to make sense of his words. It honestly seemed like bullshit to him and Erwin's choice of words confused him. Was Erwin hiding something from him? He almost always did, he wouldn't be surprised if there was something under the wraps. Erwin always had a hidden agenda and knew what others were thinking before hand. Erwin smirked then swivelled the chair around, his back facing Levi, then spoke in a commanding tone.

"I told you, that you were the only person I could trust with this mission and I meant it. Since you're so capable I knew that you could handle this in a discreet manner. If word got out that a human child was massacring aberrants all by themselves without orders from the council or hunter's association things would get problematic for me. You know how much I hate paperwork Levi." He teased lightly.

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what's really going on Erwin. I've had it up to here with your bullshit. I'm not your fucking errand boy. I deserve to know what you're thinking of doing with the kid now that you have him in your grubby hands." Levi snarled totally fed up with the whole situation and Erwin's secrets. He'd think that knowing each other for over fifty years would build a sense of trust between them.

"Well technically he's in your grubby hands, not mine." He jabbed as he turned his chair back around with a light-hearted tone and a large, shit eating smirk plastered on his ridiculous face.

"For fuck sake, are you gonna tell me or not?" He growled in irritation.

"I will in due time. For now since you seem so concerned about the boy, why don't I leave him in your capable hands?"

"You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not a fucking babysitter Erwin." Levi snapped. His temple throbbing and his eyes twitching from the stressful situation he unintentionally got himself into.

"You're in charge of the boy whether you like it or not Levi. He's too young to be of age yet to be auctioned off. Judging by his figure and how skinny he is, he couldn't even be considered healthy enough to be sent to anyone let alone a feeding farm. He'll stay here where we can observe him and get him back to a healthy weight. I want to know everything about him." Erwin instructed. His voice firm and unyielding, leaving no room for argument. His orders looming over Levi and pressuring him. His eyes shined brightly and his aura emitting dominance.

"Fine, if you're done nagging me can I go? There's a shower calling my name and I'm tired." Levi resigned. His voice on edge and his body stiff from standing still.

"Yes, take care of him Levi. Also I want a full report of everything that you saw back in Shiganshina by my desk the latest at the end of week." He restated in a playful tone. His attention back to his work, the only thing acknowledging him was a lazy wave of his hand, dismissing Levi from his office.

"Damn old man."

"I heard that." Erwin chuckled in mirth and amusement as Levi speed walked out of his office.

Walking back to his quarters was uneventful seeing as how it was late in the night and any vampire under noble class would be either resting from a hard day's of work, feeding, sleeping or carrying out their assigned duties. His squad being more or less used to the harsh rays of the sun and odd schedule, although not deadly it did suck their energy faster than during the night and make daily tasks and duties more difficult. The hallways were empty and quite, twisting and turning like a maze that he long since memorized. He made it back to the elevator to go further up to a higher floor where most of the living area was. Proceeding back to the twenty eighth floor where things were more comfortable. The red carpet over the laminate flooring and soft orange glow from ceiling lights casting a cozy feeling to wash over him, easing all the tension from his body as he neared his room. The familiar scents wrapping around him like a thick blanket. With some manoeuvring, he managed to open the door and gently close it with his elbow and carried the boy over to rest on the edge of his bed.

Looking over the boy he could see that he was filthy, covered in sweat, blood, dirt and grime from the night's events. He decided then a swift sponge bath and a nice change of clothes would do the trick to eeze his paranoia of dirt and hopefully make the boy feel more comfortable. Looking back at it now, he remembered seeing various old scars, gashes and bruises littering the boy's caramel skin as he undressed him and washed his body, a particularly large gash over his back being the worst of his injuries. Clearly the boy had suffered a great deal and was able to survive.

Recalling it now as he pet the boy, he felt a twinge of relief seeing how he was sitting here alive. Despite the cards that he was dealt with, he managed to remain victorious and survive. He smiled at the boy feeling impressed and pleased.

"Alright beastie, think you're up for a bath?" He joked lightly as he stood slowly up from his seat, making his movements slow and visible to him to make him feel comfortable. He'd noticed that the boy would jump at any sudden movements and was very careful and weary of him, so he tried to exaggerate his movements slightly to appear less threatening. He cleaned up the bowl from his desk and set aside the tray for later and set his chair back against the far wall and turned back to the boy, waiting for any sort of response.

The boy stared innocently up at him, as if he wasn't certain of what a bath meant, head tilted and long hair following his movements, brushing his shoulders. His eyes seemed curious and his nose scrunched up in confusion. Levi sighed and walked towards the bathroom and went inside to turn on the tap to the shower head, waiting for the water to turn warm. It seemed that a shower would be better since he was unfamiliar with what a bath was and the idea of filling his tub with hot water and leaving the kid in there to his own devices didn't sit well with him. As he waited, he heard the soft pitter patter of the boy's feet as he jogged towards the bathroom, his steps being careful and light, resembling a bird hopping about in snow. Levi, being mindful and wanting to observe how his little friend would react to the shower, kept still, his back turned to the boy.

The boy stopped at the edge of the tub, staring up at the water as it sprayed down into the tub. Steam was filling the large room, making it stuffy and perspiration to form on the mirror. When he was close enough to the flow of the water, he seemed to be at awe with the shower itself and with careful movements, drew his hand towards the spray of water. Levi observed him from the corner of his eyes, his body relaxed with one hand resting on his hip. The moment the boy's hand touched the water things went very wrong. He jumped back from the tub in fear and screamed loudly, his eyes turning frantic and his body rigid. He ran from the tub towards the sink and crouched low covering his ears and closing his eyes.

In concern Levi immediately jumped into action, he quickly shut off the water and ran towards the boy all huddled by the sink hiding under the bathroom cabinets. Levi got on his hands and knees to get a better look at the boy. He was shivering like a leaf, his hands trembling as he covered his ears and his face pale. His head tucked in his knees as he rocked himself back and forth to soothe his fear. Levi was honestly shocked by the reaction. He didn't think that the shower would be a possible trigger for trauma, but clearly it was a bad idea and sticking to the bath was probably the better option to get the boy to relax and his muscles to unwind from stress.

"Beastie, don't worry I'm right here. It was just hot water, it won't hurt you." He soothed in a soft voice. He tried to keep his hands low and voice soft to try to coax the boy out of his fearful thoughts that were haunting him. The boy hardly reacted to his words, only opening his teary eyes to look over at Levi. His lower lip being torn apart by his front teeth as he chewed on his lips.

Clearly he had to switch tactics or else his fear would escalate and he could possibly start to hyperventilate. Levi, being used to seeing panic attacks that had happened to any human survivor after a aberrant attack, was familiar with the warning signs. Being very mindful of his movements, carefully reached his hand to the boy and held it open, a simple gesture that allowed the boy to make the move first if he was comfortable doing so.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here beastie. I'm right here with you, stay with me." He cooed. His voice a mere whisper. He schooled his expression to be calm he didn't want to seem angry at the boy's reaction and wanted to express his sincerity. He was almost tempted to use compulsion on the kid if needed but his words seemed to do the trick. After a few minutes, the boy reached his thin hand towards Levi's, still shivering, and slowly crawled out from under the cabinets. The moment he came out, he squeezed Levi's hand in a vice like grip and stepped closer to him. His eyes dim in the light and his brows furrowed.

"Should we try that again? Perhaps a bath would be better? I'm sorry, if I knew you'd react like that I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place." He apologized. Levi scratched his neck and looked down at the boy, feeling very uncomfortable with the boy's sudden clingy nature and having to apologize. It was very strange how he had to adjust his behaviour and words to soothe the boy and he wasn't used to acting sweet or kind. He was very glad that Hanji wasn't here to see his personality switch or else she'd make fun of him for all eternity.

At the very word "bath" he seemed to jostle, nervous at the notion of going through that huge debacle all over again. Levi chuckled and ruffled his hair as if to tease him. In a way, it was a method to try to restore the peaceful atmosphere that had surrounded them before and ease his tension. Without letting go of his hand, Levi turned the tap on again, plugging in the tub with the stopper.

"Let's get you out of those clothes and in the tub. Trust me you'll feel better after a good soak, plus you need it. You're still filthy." He cringed remembering the state the boy was in when he first laid eyes on him. As if scared to let go, the boy held on tighter, squeezing his hand harder than before and frowning. Levi gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and eased his hand free from his grasp. He tapped the boy's shoulder cuing him to take off his shirt and pants. Easily enough the boy complied, throwing his clothes haphazardly on the tiled floor and waited expectantly for further instructions.

When Levi deemed the tub full enough he motioned for the boy to hop in the tub with a quick turn of his head and playful smirk. Getting the hint the boy tread carefully towards the tub and stared at the water, hesitation in his movements. When he didn't show any signs of getting in, Levi was losing his patience and as a slight punishment for causing Levi so much trouble he decided he wanted to tease the boy, so with a sudden bout of mischief, he lightly pushed the boy into the tub, a resounding splash echoing in the bathroom. He squealed in surprise and burst from the pool of water, his eyes wide in shock and mouth wide open. Finding his expression to be cute Levi couldn't help himself and laughed.

"Your fault for being a slow poke." He snickered. He bent down to the boy's eye level and rested one hand on the edge of the tub and used his other hand to splash a small amount of water onto the boy playfully.

The boy seemed frozen, his eyes wide and mouth still open. Levi was beginning to think that he had made a mistake and took his teasing too far, but his worries were quelled when the boy's expression changed. He started to pout, his brows furrowed and eyes glaring up at Levi in annoyance. He reminded Levi of a wet cat, his hair covering his eyes and his body slouched over and glare attempting to be menacing. Levi chuckled at the resemblance and shook his head. He continued to pour water gently onto the boy getting him used to the water's temperature and coaxing him to relax. When his shoulders began to become lax Levi decided that he could finally get to the hard part of this whole bath. He grabbed the shampoo bottle and conditioner from the shower rack and his loofah and body wash, then placed all the bottles near his feet by the tub. He squeezed a small amount of shampoo into his palm then worked it into the boy's hair. The moment he started to scrub the boy became agitated. He clearly wasn't used to washing his own hair given the state it was in and was uncomfortable with the manhandling going on. He started to squirm, twisting and turning, trying to avoid Levi's hands and detaching himself from Levi's grasp. Water splashed onto Levi's shirt and onto the tiles of the bathroom from the aggressive nature of his squirming.

"Stop moving would you? I'm only washing you since you don't seem to know how to wash yourself. It's not fun for me either kid." Levi grumbled in frustration.

The boy continued to squirm and only seemed to get more angry with each scrub, his glare turning menacing as he resisted. He started to claw at Levi's hands in retaliation and dislike for the treatment.

"Sit still." Levi ordered, his voice thick and low. His aura slipping out in a dominant, aggressive manner causing the boy to jump at his chilled voice. That seemed to startle him into submission. He stopped clawing at his hands and avoided looking at Levi, eyes low and face schooled into a grimace. Levi sighed in relief and continued washing his hair. Pulling the shower from the stand, he switched to the lowest setting to make the pressure of the water light, like the trickle of rain rather than harsh pressure. The boy squeezed his eyes shut tight, remembering his fear of the shower spray and started to tremble.

"Don't worry, this is lighter in pressure and it's not gonna be the same as before, I promise. I'm only gonna use it to wash the shampoo out of your hair. Keep your eyes closed." He vowed. He waited patiently to see if the boy understood him and for his trembling to stop before he brought the shower head over the boy. He jostled slightly from the water but relaxed into it a few seconds later.

The water trickled into the tub and the suds washed off nicely. Levi moved on to the conditioner and ran his fingers through his hair to untangle the strands and smooth the conditioner in. He then moved on to apply the shower gel onto the loofah and with light pressure, started scrubbing at his skin. Suds and bubbles created little clouds of white onto the water's surface and the boy seemed very intrigued by them. His eyes following the bubbles as they floated around, his index finger poking and prodding at a larger bundle of bubbles. One of the bubbles had escaped from the rest and floated up to his nose. The boy's eyes glittered with joy and he blow the bubble watching as it fluttered higher. With his attention fixated on the bubbles, Levi made quick work of his scrubbing and started to wash off the remaining suds and conditioner. When he was pleased with his work, he unplugged the stopper and drained the tub. He pulled a fluffy white towel from the basket by the cabinets and helped him out of the tub.

He sat quietly on the bathmat turning his attention to the towel, his curiosity winning over his irritation from before. Levi pat the towel delicately over his skin, his pressure light then ran the towel through his hair. The boy didn't like the towel blocking his view and he started to grunt in annoyance. He wiggled about trying to avoid the towel and once he couldn't avoid Levi's constant assault he started to get angry. His eyes holding a dangerous glint to them as he glared at Levi.

"Don't look at me like that. If you'd sit still this will be over faster." He reiterated.

As Levi started to dry his face and the front of his bangs the boy took his chance and bit his right hand. The blunt ends of his teeth sinking into his flesh in retaliation. Although it was unexpected, Levi strangely wasn't angry at him for biting him. Things were new to the boy and Levi understood that being in a new environment around strange people would be frightening to anyone. He let his arm be lax in the boy's jaw and kept his face in a bored expression. His teeth hardly causing him any pain even when he ground his teeth further into his flesh.

"Let go." He said. His voice low and quite.

The boy's face morphed into shock, his eyes wide and mouth easing in pressure. He didn't move and simply stared at Levi for a few seconds as if he was thinking about Levi's words and confused at his reaction. Finally he let go, his jaw slack, allowing his hand to slip out easily. Feeling guilty the boy stared as his hand, his teeth marks embedded into his skin as he frowned. With apprehension and hesitation the boy gently started to pat at his hand as if apologizing for biting him.

Feeling a bit impressed at the boy's form of apology, he pat his hand back once before standing up and going to the cabinet and opening one of the drawers and pulled a flat ended comb then sat back down in front of him.

"This is a comb, it's used to brush your hair with. It won't hurt at all. Will you let me fix your hair?" Perhaps from now on he should assume that the boy didn't know much and should start explaining the use of certain objects to make him more agreeable and compliant.

He nodded giving his permission and expressing for the first time that he was finally getting used to Levi and acknowledging him rather than simply growling or grunting at him. We're finally making some progress, baby steps I guess. Levi thought remembering Petra's words as she would try to coax him whenever he would get impatient in the past.

He pressed the comb into his hair and started to comb through the knots that had formed from all the struggling and wiggling. He figured that cutting his hair would have to wait until the boy was more snug with the idea, seeing at how wild and jumpy he was already. Levi didn't think he could deal with any more fighting today and was starting to get tired from all the grooming. The boy on the other hand seemed to be enjoying the treatment, his eyes closed and head leaning back almost falling straight into his chest, a pleased little smile resting on his face in bliss.

After finishing with his hair, he had managed to get the boy into some clean clothes after more fussing and struggling and finally he was fit to go. Levi was exhausted after the whole thing and was reconsidering tell Erwin to shove it with his orders at being a new caretaker and guardian.

"Let's get some fresh air. I need to walk around a little after all that crap." Levi said listlessly. He opened the door ready to leave the confines of his room when he felt the boy's hand slip ever so shyly into his. The boy looking up at him expectantly and excitement burning in his eyes. The moment they stepped out of his room they had bumped into Hanji as she was carrying a huge pile of boxes, her hair messy and her eyes concentrated on her footing.

"Oh! Levi, you've finally come out! I was wondering when you'd pop out of your hidey hole! How's our little friend doing?" She chirped in happiness. She wobbled in her footing, making the boxes rumble and she shifted her arms to get a better hold of things.

"Just fine thanks." He murmured. He honestly didn't know where all that energy came from. They had only just returned back for a few short hours, so how she had managed to sneak in some time to rest and feed was a mystery to him. Personally he felt like a zombie and was ready to crash at any minute, he had had enough excitement for one day.

She paused in her observation of the boy then started to burst with laughter. Her loud howl of laughter making the boy jump startled, as he hid behind Levi's legs, grabbing his pant leg in his hand.

"OH LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE WAS HAVING FUN IN THE BATH! YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR HAIR!" She gushed with delight at the state of his hair. Knowing the amount of condensation and hot air that was being circulated in the bathroom, he was guessing that his hair was an absolute mess, all frizzy and puffy from the heat.

"Shut up Hanji, some people are trying to sleep, keep your damn voice down." He chastised. Her loud shrieking making his ears ring.

"Sorry sorry, you just look hilarious! You kinda remind me of one of the old mops that we having lying about, all the ends of the mop frizzed out and puffy." She teased. Her mouth forming into a devilish grin and her eyes gleaming in the low lighting, making her look more mischievous. She directed her attention back to the boy and she lost some of her crazed expression.

"Hello little guy! Don't be afraid! I swear I'm not as creepy as I look." She giggled down at him while setting the boxes down on the floor to get a better look at him. Yeah way to sound creepy Hanji, he thought as he rolled his eyes. She sat low on the floor her knees holding her weight as she extended her hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you little guy. I'm Hanji Zoe, fellow squad member of the survey corps and a dear old friend of Levi's. What's your name?" She greeted cheerfully. She waited excitedly for him to take her hand. Awkward silence hung in the air as her hand was left outstretched pathetically and the boy only seemed to frown down at her hand and grabbed his pant leg tighter.

"Well this is awkward." She stated lamely chuckling nervously. Feeling oddly satisfied at Hanji's failed attempt at introducing herself he pat the boy's head and ruffled his hair, almost rewarding him of his behaviour towards her.

"If you're done embarrassing yourself, I have to go and show him around and get him situated. See ya later bug eyes." He sung in a pleased tone of voice as he passed by Hanji and walked down the hall with the boy in tow, leaving Hanji alone. He could smell the rejection and sadness coming from her and smiled.

They continued walking down the hallway, past the rooms of slumbering vampires and he pointed out a few rooms that he thought would be handy to know, like the bathrooms and what rooms not to go in without permission. He took him past a small library and past small meeting rooms then finally to the elevator to go back down to introduce him to Erwin. Levi wasn't feeling all the comfortable with the idea of introducing him to Erwin and the rest of this squad so early after bringing him here but he would rather get this over and done with to help the boy get familiar with his surroundings.

Levi stepped inside the elevator and he felt the boy let go of his hand, his hand slipping from his, which he turned back to see what was wrong, since until now, he held on tightly, never once diverging from Levi. The kid was clearly nervous about setting foot inside as he looked around the elevator with worry as he gnawed on his lips, his fingers picking at his nails in agitation. Levi pressed the button to stop the doors from closing and stepped closer to the boy, then held out his hand. It seemed that having physical contact made him feel safe and secure in a new environment and worked like a charm in calming him down.

"Come on beastie, trust me it's safe." He reassured. "If you don't come with me, I'll have to leave you there all by yourself." He teased as he turned around, his back facing the boy as if to show that he was leaving.

Before he could even take one single step, he felt a rather harsh tug from his shirt and he stumbled slightly from the strength of the force. Levi turned his head and saw the boy desperately clinging to his shirt, his eyes watery and eyebrows shaped into fear. He looked scared at the idea of being left all alone. Levi waited patiently for the boy to make up his mind, then finally after a few minutes of debating, he ran into the elevator and crashed into Levi, burying his head into his stomach, wrapping his arms around his middle and squeezing the life out of him. As the elevator was going down, the boy was spooked when the doors shut, obviously never experiencing being in one before. He shivered against Levi and he held onto him for dear life. Levi sighed and resigned to being stuck in this position until they would be getting off. He tenderly pat his head to soothe the boy and he felt the boy's sturdy grip around him loosen slightly as some of his tension left.

All this hugging and touching was very new to the both of them and Levi was never a touchy feely kind of guy, so being in constant contact with the kid this much was sapping him of his energy, but he decided to relent and sacrifice his comfort for the boy's instead. If he wanted to get him used to the environment around him and get this mission over with, he would have to make some sacrifices, and he didn't think it was _that _bad. Sure he never really liked kids, but oddly enough this boy wasn't that bad to be around, plus he felt a bit touched seeing at how desperately the boy was clinging onto him, the only source of guide that he had in this strange world that he was being thrust into. Levi figured that he was the only one the boy could really rely on during this scary new experience, making what he was doing worth his time and energy.

They finally made it the twentieth floor where Erwin's office was without any trouble. The elevator doors opening up and the boy finally took his head out from under Levi's stomach and turning around slightly to see what was going on. At seeing the empty hallway and a new area the boy quickly let go and hopped off the elevator and smiled slightly, probably feeling better after getting off and leaving the elevator. Levi followed behind him and started walking ahead, knowing where he wanted to go. Unlike Levi, the boy was excited as he observed everything and jogged down the hallway, looking at all the offices and rooms as they passed by them. He even stopped by one plant that was near one of the seating areas and started poking at the large leaves, watching as it bounced from his prodding. He seemed amused at this then turned to Levi and smirked mischievously, reminding him of Hanji's cat-like smile when she was up to something.

Levi tried to ignore the sudden feeling of dread and chill down his spine from the boy's evil little smirk but he knew that something was up. Most likely the boy wanted to get back at him for the bath fiasco. He continued walking, his steps quickening but he could hear the echo of the kid's quick steps, clearly catching up to him with ease. He ran ahead of Levi then stopped in front of him blocking his way. He stared up Levi, the smirk still there and before he could ask what the hell he was up to, the boy quickly lifted his right hand and blew something from his palm. Something small and red flashed by his eyes and before he could even determine what it was he felt something fall on his nose. He squinted down at his nose, his eyes crossing, and there sitting on the tip of his nose was a ladybug. He probably had found it resting by the plant, Levi thought.

The boy started to giggle softly and Levi jumped at his giggles, it reminded him of tinkling bells; soft and soothing to his ears. The boy's eyes were sparkling in amusements and his cheeks rosy, his peach lips upturned in a happy smile and Levi thought he looked way better with a smile on his face than his usual frown. It was honestly cute, though he would never admit it out loud, but he could forgive his teasing if it made him this happy. Levi grumbled under his breath, that he was too old for this shit, then blew the ladybug off his nose watching as it flew away.

"Alright now we're even. If you're done teasing let's go. I have someone I want to introduce you to. Stay close by my side and don't run off beastie." He instructed lightly.

As if to show that he understood and was listening, he jogged back to his side and took hold of his hand and waited. Well at least he listens to me now, Levi thought. They continued down the hallway without any trouble and finally stopped by Erwin's office. Levi knocked on the door and waited until he heard a soft voice call out.

"Come in."

He opened the door, the handle feeling cool against his warm skin and he walked in closing the door behind the boy. The moment they had stepped inside, the kid hid behind his leg again, pulling at his sweatpants like he did when they had bumped into Hanji. It seemed like he was hiding again, clearly weary of strangers.

"So this is the boy that you mentioned. He's unusually small for his age." Erwin concluded as he scrutinized the boy from what little he could see. He got up from his chair by his desk and walked over to Levi.

"I wouldn't know how old he really is but I'm guessing by his build he could be around eight or nine." Levi theorized, his tone clipped and annoyed at Erwin for his analytical, cold demeanor.

"Boy I'd like to ask you a few questions." Erwin addressed him in a stiff tone as he stared down at the boy. Levi could feel the boy jump at Erwin's voice and his hand pull his leg closer towards him.

"What were you doing up in the mountain all alone? Who are your parents? Can you tell me your name?" Erwin questioned. His inquiry was short and clipped, to the point, just like his attitude towards the boy in question. He didn't seem to care about the boy's obvious discomfort and was bombarding him with questions.

"Erwin, maybe you shouldn't interrogate him right off the bat. He's a lot more feral and skittish than I thought." Levi warned, his voice lowering in tone as he tried to get Erwin to back off with his assault. Erwin ignored Levi's words and continued to stare at the boy continuing his questions.

"How did you kill all those aberrants by yourself?" When he got no response, Levi could tell that Erwin was at his last thread of patience. His eyes were solely focused on the boy in frustration and his bushy eyebrows were furrowed so much that his face looked more aggressive than usual.

In his haste to get answers, Erwin reached his hand towards the boy to pull him out from behind Levi. His hand close to grabbing his arm, before Erwin could even touch his arm the boy growled, his face contorting into anger and he slapped Erwin's hand away in aggression. His body was taunt and strung, his viridian eyes glowing brightly like fire, his mouth in a snarl and his teeth bared, his chest puffed out as he stood proudly and firmly, unafraid. Erwin seemed shocked and Levi was surprised at his outburst of anger when he was cowering in fear just a few seconds ago. The initial shock wearing off leaving the room in a deadly silence.

"That's enough Erwin. I've had enough of your bullshit. You didn't even let me explain and instead chose to ignore me as usual. If you're gonna keep acting like a wild animal then you can shove it." Levi snarled in anger. For some reason, seeing Erwin reach towards the boy and even touching him caused him to lose all sense and reason. He wanted to cut off Erwin's arm for even touching the boy. He felt his desire for violence rise and his blood boil. He pulled the boy towards him and rubbed his shoulder as the boy pressed his head against his side. Erwin's face changed as his expression went from shocked to ease. He smiled knowingly and his body relaxed as he crossed his arms and his hip jutted to the side.

"It seems like I was right to keep the boy at your side. My apologies Levi, didn't mean to frighten him. My questions can wait. It seems like he trusts you the most right now. You can go and rest for today, you've had a long night and I'll let you take the rest of the night off. I'll inform Hanji that you're duties can wait until you've rested." He stated simply as he turned back around and headed back to his desk like nothing had happened.

"That's it? You were riding my ass about bringing him to you and how you wanted me to take care of him and after all that shit you just pulled you're letting us go? What the hell is wrong with you?" Levi barked, his anger reaching its peak at Erwin's shit eating grin and relaxed demeanour.

"Have a good night Levi." He dismissed calmly as he sat back down and continued his work from where he left off, not even looking back at the both of them.

What the fuck was that? He bothered me for this? The next time I see him I'm gonna kick his ass. Levi thought as he stormed out of his office in anger and frustration for wasting his time. The boy followed behind, his steps soft and quick to match his long strides. He marched down the hallway and to the elevator smashing the button with pent up anger. He could feel his teeth elongating as he remembered Erwin reaching his grubby hands towards the boy and he felt even more pissed off for some reason. In his seething anger he punched the elevator doors and the metal groaned and bent to his fists from his alarming strength.

He felt a soft touch to his side and was confused, his anger being put on hold as he turned to boy, forgetting that he was even there being blinded with anger. The boy pat his side tenderly as if to comfort him. He had a grim expression on his pale face, his eyes down cast and lips set in a thin line. Levi sighed, feeling all his anger seep out from him as the boy continued to pat him.

"How about heading to the Library for a bit?" Levi suggested in a calmer tone as he smiled apologetically to the boy. He nodded agreeing with the suggestion and pulled Levi in the elevator even before Levi could say anything. His previous fear of the elevator seeming nonexistent as his small hand held onto his, warmth ebbing its way into Levi's frigid hand. Levi pressed the button back to the twenty either floor and relaxed his body at the thought of a bit of light reading. It always had a way of calming him down whenever Erwin or someone had gotten under his skin. The comfort of the library and being surrounded in a sense of peace was like a blanket coating him in warmth. It may even be a good idea to teach the boy about a few things and test to see how well he could read and write seeing as how the boy's maps and notes from the cabin were illegible.

They got off without bumping into anyone else thankfully, and headed towards the library. Levi opened the large, mahogany doors and moonlight poured in from the tall, glass windows near the back where the fireplace and couches resided. It was always Levi's favourite place, the huge expanse of bookcases and roomy area and plush couch providing the best space for some light reading. He remembered all the times he used to sit by the window using the moon's soft glow to read hours for hours on end.

"Come on beastie, let me show you around. Get comfy, feel free to explore." He spoke in an amused tone when he saw the boy's jaw drop in astonishment from the large assortment of books and huge space.

He walked steadily inside, simply taking in the whole library and gawking at everything his eyes landed on. He stepped towards the reading area where all the couches and the fireplace was and he stopped by the base of the windows. He was absorbed as he stared outside enjoying the night's sky. The moon was at its peak, shining brightly casting a white glow over the boys face. His eyes seemed to sparkle like the stars, his face relaxed and a small smile resting on his lips. As if entranced by the moon itself, he reached his right hand out, his palm held high like he was trying to capture the moon. He looked euphoric standing in the moonlight, his shadow casting over the carpet and almost looking like a pair of wings. That's when it hit him, like lightning, Levi knew what to name the boy.

"Eren." He whispered, afraid that he was going to break the serene atmosphere that had covered the both of them. At the sound of his voice the boy turned, the moon's rays creating a halo and soft glow outlining his body in white.

"Your name will be Eren." He reiterated in a hushed tone. The name felt pleasant as it left his lips, just like the moon shining the sky, soft like silk. He seemed confused at the name, his head tilting to the side, expressing his confusion and his long hair swaying against his shoulders, the light from the moon shining through his strands of hair toning it a caramel colour.

"Er-en." Levi pronounced as he pointed to the boy to emphasize the name and get his point across. The boy was squinting at his lips, then attempted to mouth the words, testing it out. Failing to get it, he walked over to Levi and reached his hand towards Levi's face, getting up on his tippy toes trying to touch his lips, his fingers wiggling in anticipation. Levi bent over allowing for easier access and felt his hot fingers caress his jaw and mouth.

"Er-en. Err-eenn." Levi spelled out, moving his mouth slowly, mouthing the words and letters to help him understand. The boy's fingers moving along his lips as if he was feeling the name and trying to feel it under his touch.

Eren moved his lips and tried copying Levi's mouth, forming the words and mouthing the name silently. As if suddenly understanding, he gleamed with delight and his mouth pulled into a bright smile.

Finally in a soft whisper he said "Eren."

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_I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Personally I couldn't be more happy with how things are turning out. Also sorry if at times it was getting a bit confusing by throwing in past and present tense with flashbacks from Levi but I wanted to fill in any gaps in time from when Eren got knocked out to the present. _

_I added in a few scenes as I was typing that weren't in my original rough draft but I felt that I wanted to include since Eren was just too cute. I know it may seem that Eren's personality changed really quickly compared to the first 3 chapters but I wanted to show how much Eren feels comfortable with Levi already which is why he clung to him so much._

_Also I REALLY wanted to emphasize the importance of a name. It may seem trivial but the moon and how Eren was reaching for it really impacted Levi to give him his name. I can thank the aot wikia for the meaning behind Eren's name :) "He who progresses/has reached towards divine maturity and sacred wisdom" or "saint" or "holy person."_


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